Roller guide shoe for an elevator

Abstract

The invention relates to a roller guide shoe (1) for guiding an elevator car (2), comprising a guide shoe housing (7), two rollers (4, 5) to be guided along a frontal guide face, and a guide roller (6) which can be received between lateral guide faces of the U-shaped guide channel (11) for lateral guidance. Furthermore, the roller guide shoe (1) has a roller suspension (8) in the form of a leaf spring for supporting the rollers (4, 5), which leaf spring (12) has an S-shaped contour.

Description

[0001] Roller guide shoe for an elevator

[0002] The invention relates to a roller guide shoe according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to an elevator whose elevator car is equipped with such roller guide shoes.

[0003] Elevators for transporting people and goods contain elevator cars that can be moved up and down in an elevator shaft. The elevator cars can be moved vertically in the elevator shaft using suspension elements, such as suspension cables or belts, and a drive unit. In addition to the elevator car, the elevator system typically includes at least one counterweight that moves in the opposite direction in the elevator shaft. The elevator car and the at least one counterweight run on guide rails. Guide shoes are typically used to guide the elevator cars and counterweight; these guide shoes can be designed as sliding guide shoes or roller guide shoes.

[0004] To ensure that the elevator car is guided linearly with sufficient precision, guide rails are used that are attached to the elevator shaft. T-shaped metal profiles have been known and used for a long time. The T-profile has a rail base attached to a shaft wall and a rail web. The rail web has two opposing guide surfaces and a front guide surface along which a sliding or roller guide shoe can slide or roll. In addition to their guiding function, the guide surfaces of the rail web also serve as contact surfaces for safety devices that can be used to brake elevator cars and bring them to a stop. The safety device can also be a safety brake to catch the car. The guide rail designed as a T-profile has proven itself over many years.

[0005] However, guide rails for guiding elevator cars that comprise a U-shaped guide channel are also known. One such guide rail is disclosed, for example, in WO 2020 / 127787 A1. This guide rail contains guide contours for both the elevator car and the counterweight in the same component. The guide contour for the elevator car is designed as a U-shaped guide channel. The elevator car has guide shoes that are accommodated in the U-shaped or groove-like guide channel of the elevator rail. A roller guide shoe for such a guide rail is disclosed in WO 2022 / 268949 A1.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the known and in particular to provide a roller guide shoe which enables safe operation and high driving comfort.

[0007] According to the invention, these and other objects are achieved with a roller guide shoe according to the features of claim 1. The roller guide shoe for an elevator for transporting people or goods serves to guide an elevator car along a guide rail extending in the travel or longitudinal direction. The guide rail has a U-shaped guide channel for receiving the roller guide shoe. The U-shaped guide channel can have two opposing lateral guide surfaces and a frontal guide surface connecting them, wherein the lateral guide surfaces and the frontal guide surface define a "U" in cross-section. The lateral guide surfaces preferably adjoin the frontal guide surface at right angles. The two opposing lateral guide surfaces can extend along a first direction with respect to the cross-section.The frontal guide surface can extend in cross-section along a second direction. The two directions, i.e. the first direction on the one hand and the second direction on the other hand, can be at right angles to each other in a rectangular "U". The roller guide shoe comprises at least one and preferably two rollers for guiding along the frontal guide surface, wherein the two rollers are particularly preferably mounted on a common axis so as to be freely rotatable about an axis of rotation, and are preferably spaced from one another via the axis. The roller or rollers can run on the frontal guide surface during car travel. The roller and in particular the two rollers grouped in pairs ensure optimal guidance of the elevator car at the end. The two rollers grouped in pairs can preferably be mounted or fastened so as to be freely rotatable opposite one another at the free ends of the axis.For lateral guidance, the roller guide shoe comprises a guide body that can be accommodated between the lateral guide surfaces. Preferably, the guide body is guided in an oscillating manner between the lateral guide surfaces as the car travels. The guide body therefore does not contact both lateral guide surfaces simultaneously. The fact that the roller guide shoe has a roller suspension designed as a leaf spring to support the at least one roller results in a number of advantages. The roller guide shoe has a simple design and consists of only a few components that can be procured inexpensively and easily assembled. This is particularly true because no moving mechanical parts are required.The leaf spring, which can be designed as a shaped flat spring, for example, ensures in a simple manner that at least one and preferably both rollers contact the front guide surface under spring preload. With the special roller suspension with the leaf spring, the roller guide shoe can follow deviations in the travel path defined by the front guide surface due to manufacturing and rail installation. Thanks to the flexurally elastic properties of the leaf spring, this results in excellent ride comfort for passengers in the elevator car. The leaf spring provides an excellent damping effect for the roller guide shoe. Undesirable vibrations generated by the rollers during car travel can be significantly reduced in a simple and efficient manner.

[0008] Preferably, the guide body can be a guide roller whose roller axis runs at right angles to the axis of the two rollers (or, more precisely, to the axis of rotation of said axis). The axis of rotation of the rollers can run in the aforementioned first direction; the roller axis of the guide roller can run in the aforementioned second direction. For optimal guidance, it can also be advantageous if the guide roller is at least 50% larger than the rollers in terms of outer diameter, and preferably at least twice as large. It can then be advantageous if the rollers are spaced apart from one another so that they reach close to the outer diameter of the guide roller - seen in a vertical projection or projection predetermined by the longitudinal direction.If a different guide body is used instead of the guide roller, for example, a carriage-like guide body to enable sliding guidance, the rollers would extend to the outer dimensions of this alternative guide body. "Close" preferably means a few millimeters.

[0009] The roller guide shoe can have a guide shoe housing. The guide shoe housing can be designed as a plate or have a base plate, on which base plate the guide body is mounted, and the at least one roller is connected to the base plate via the roller suspension. The roller guide shoe is characterized by a particularly compact and robust design. Furthermore, it can be advantageous if the leaf spring is strip-shaped.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment, the leaf spring of the roller suspension has a fastening section for fastening the leaf spring to the guide shoe housing, a transition section adjoining the fastening section, and finally a free end section on which the at least one roller is arranged. The fastening section, which preferably lies flat on the base plate, can be firmly connected to the base plate, thereby creating a fixed end section. In other words, the roller suspension designed as a leaf spring thus has a fixed end section (fastening section) and a free end section; the two end sections are connected to each other via the transition section.

[0011] The base plate can have an upper surface, to which the axis or rotational axis of the rollers can run parallel in the preferred embodiment. The roller axis of the guide roller runs perpendicular to the upper surface. This upper surface can lie on a vertical plane, which can run parallel to the adjacent shaft wall, if the roller guide shoe is installed in the elevator.

[0012] Particularly preferably, the fastening section and the free end section of the leaf spring are designed to run parallel to each other in the unloaded state. When the roller guide shoe is installed in the elevator, the rollers exert a spring-loaded action on the guide rail. The leaf spring is then in a loaded state. The roller guide shoe with such a leaf spring-designed roller suspension for the rollers is characterized by a particularly simple design.

[0013] The leaf spring may have an S-shaped contour. The S-shape refers to a side view.

[0014] The roller guide shoe can be created simply by providing angled sections between the inclined transition section and the adjacent sections (i.e., the fastening section on one side and the free or resilient end section on the other side). Such a roller guide shoe is simple and cost-effective to manufacture. The leaf spring can be made from a sheet metal part and, in particular, be formed by a one-piece bent part made from a spring steel sheet.

[0015] Finally, a further aspect of the invention relates to an elevator having an elevator car equipped with the previously described roller guide shoes for guiding the elevator car along guide rails. The elevator further comprises two preferably opposite guide rails for guiding the elevator car, wherein the longitudinally extending guide rails each contain a U-shaped guide channel.

[0016] The elevator with the elevator car can further comprise at least one counterweight connected to the elevator car via suspension means and movable in the opposite direction to the elevator car. The elevator can preferably comprise one or two counterweights per elevator car. The elevator can comprise guide rails, each of which serves as a linear guide for both an elevator car and a counterweight.

[0017] The elevator car can have a front side with a car door assigned to it. Furthermore, the elevator car can have a rear side opposite the front side and two car sides connecting the front and rear sides. For example, the elevator can comprise an elevator car supported at the front and two opposing counterweights, each connected to the elevator car via support means and movable in the opposite direction to the elevator car. The counterweights can be guided on opposing counterweight guide rails, which are mounted on opposite sides of the elevator shaft adjacent to the car sides. On each side, the guide rail for guiding the elevator car and the counterweight guide rail are formed by a common guide rail profile.This guide rail thus serves as a linear guide for both the elevator car and the counterweights. This type of elevator, with the elevator car supported at the front, is also known as a "front-loaded elevator."

[0018] Further individual features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the drawings. They show:

[0019] Fig. 1 is a highly simplified representation of a plan view of an elevator according to the invention with an elevator car equipped with roller guide shoes for guiding the elevator car along longitudinally extending guide rails, and

[0020] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a roller guide shoe for the elevator according to Fig. 1.

[0021] Fig. 1 shows an elevator, designated 10, for a multi-story building. The building has an elevator shaft 22 in which an elevator car 2 can be moved vertically up and down to individual floors to transport people or goods.

[0022] The elevator in Figure 1 is designed as a traction elevator system with at least one counterweight 23 that can move in the opposite direction to the elevator car 2. The elevator 10 shown here has two counterweights 23 as well as suspension elements and drives (not shown). The two drives (e.g. traction sheave drives) drive the respective suspension elements (e.g. belts, steel cables) and thus move the elevator car 2 and the two counterweights 23 in opposite directions. Each drive is assigned to one of the counterweights 23. To guide the elevator car 2 and the counterweights 23, two opposing guide rails 3 are provided on both sides of the elevator car 2. The elevator 10 shown in the present embodiment is characterized by special guide rails 3 that serve as linear guides for both the elevator car 2 and the respective counterweights 23. The guide rails 3 can be manufactured as one-piece rolling profiles.

[0023] The elevator car 2 has a front side 24 with a car door 27, a rear side 26 opposite the front side, and two side walls 25 connecting the front and rear sides. The elevator car 2 is supported at the front. The guide rails 3 are located on opposite sides of the elevator shaft 22 adjacent to the side walls 25. The guide rails 3 are connected to horizontal support structures 29 that are fixed to the elevator shaft 22 in the area of ​​the front side. The elevator system 1 is designed as a so-called "front bag elevator." Further details on the front bag elevator and the guidance of the car and the counterweights with shared guide rails can be found in WO 2020 / 127303 A1 and WO 2020 / 127787 A1. The guide rail 3 comprises a U-shaped guide channel 11 in which a roller guide shoe 1 for guiding the elevator car 2 is accommodated.The roller guide shoe 1 has two rollers 4, 5 for front-end guidance and one guide roller 6 for lateral guidance. The respective axes of rotation of the rollers 4, 5 and the guide roller 6 are designated RI and R2. The guide rail 3 is designed as a hollow profile, for example, as a one-piece rolling profile. The aforementioned guide channel 11 has two opposing lateral guide surfaces and a frontal guide surface connecting them. The frontal guide surface and the lateral guide surfaces adjoining it at right angles define a "U" in cross-section. The rollers 4, 5 run on the frontal guide surface. The guide roller 6 is guided in an oscillating manner between the lateral guide surfaces. The roller axis R2 runs perpendicular to the axis of rotation RI of the two rollers 4, 5.The roller guide shoe is characterized by a leaf spring-type roller suspension for supporting the rollers 4 and 5. Structural details of the roller guide shoe 1 can be seen in Figure 2.

[0024] Figure 2 shows the roller guide shoe 1, with the direction of travel of the elevator car 2 indicated by an arrow z for a better understanding of the respective directions. The two rollers 4, 5 are freely rotatably mounted on a common axis. This axis is attached to a roller suspension designated 8. The roller suspension 8 is clearly designed as a leaf spring. The leaf spring 12 of the roller suspension 8 for supporting the rollers 4, 5 is in this case a formed flat spring. The leaf spring 12 can be made from a sheet metal part and, in particular, can be formed by a one-piece bent part made of spring steel sheet. The rollers 4, 5 are pressed by the leaf spring 12 against the frontal guide surface of the U-shaped guide channel of the guide rail. The rollers 4, 5 enable end-to-end guidance, which is characterized, among other things, by high reliability and enables significantly improved travel comfort.

[0025] The roller guide shoe 1 further comprises a guide shoe housing 7 with a base plate 18. The roller guide shoe 1 can be attached to the elevator car 2 via this base plate 18. For mounting the roller guide shoe 1, the base plate 18 could also be accommodated in a frame (not shown here), which frame ultimately connects the roller guide shoe 1 to the elevator car 2. The leaf spring 12 consists of a fastening section 13 lying flat on the base plate 18 for fastening the leaf spring to the guide shoe housing 7, a transition section 14 adjoining the fastening section, and finally a free end section 15 on which the rollers 4, 5 are arranged and which resiliently loads the guide rail. In the unloaded state shown in Fig. 2, the fastening section 13 and the end section 15 of the leaf spring are designed to run parallel to each other.The strip-shaped leaf spring 12 clearly has an S-shaped contour when viewed from the side. Bends 16, 17 are provided between the inclined transition section 14 and the adjacent sections 13 and 14, respectively. The leaf spring 12 simply ensures that the two rollers 4, 5 contact the frontal guide surface of the guide rail under spring preload, thus resulting in excellent ride comfort for passengers in the elevator car. The leaf spring 12 provides excellent damping for the roller guide shoe 1. A further advantage of the roller guide shoe 1 with the roller suspension 8 configured as a leaf spring for the rollers 4, 5 is that a compact design is available for the roller guide shoe, with the roller guide shoe being particularly characterized by its relatively flat design.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the guide roller 6 has a significantly larger outer diameter than the rollers 4, 5; in the present case, the outer diameter of the guide roller 6 is approximately twice as large as that of the rollers 4, 5.

[0027] The leaf spring 12, clamped on one side, has a swan-neck-like double bend, which defines the S-shaped curve mentioned above in the side view. The strip-shaped leaf spring 12 has a constant width along its entire length, in relation to the longitudinal direction. This roller suspension 8 results in a compact and robust design. Only a few parts are required for the roller guide shoe. The roller guide shoe is cost-effective, easy to manufacture, and assembly is also very simple.

Claims

1. Roller guide shoe (1) for guiding an elevator car (2) of an elevator (10) along a guide rail (3) extending in the longitudinal direction (z) and enclosing a U-shaped guide channel (11), the roller guide shoe (1) comprising a guide shoe housing (7), at least one and preferably two rollers (4, 5) mounted so as to be freely rotatable about an axis of rotation (RI) for guiding along a frontal guide surface of the U-shaped guide channel (11), and a guide body which can be received between lateral guide surfaces of the U-shaped guide channel (11) for lateral guidance, characterized in that the roller guide shoe (1) has a roller suspension (8) designed as a leaf spring for supporting the at least one roller (4, 5).

2. Roller guide shoe (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the roller guide shoe (1) has a guide shoe housing (7), wherein the guide shoe housing (7) has a base plate (18), on which base plate (18) the guide body is mounted and that the at least one roller (4, 5) is connected to the base plate (18) via the roller suspension (8).

3. Roller guide shoe (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the leaf spring (12) of the roller suspension (8) has a fastening section (13) for fastening the leaf spring to the guide shoe housing (7), a transition section (14) adjoining the fastening section and finally a free end section (15) on which the at least one roller (4, 5) is arranged.

4. Roller guide shoe (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the fastening section (13) and the end section (15) of the leaf spring are designed to run parallel to one another in the unloaded state.

5. Roller guide shoe (1) according to one of claims 3 to 4, characterized in that the leaf spring (12) has an S-shaped contour.

6. Roller guide shoe (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that that bends (16, 17) are provided between the obliquely running transition section () and the adjacent sections.

7. Roller guide shoe (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the leaf spring (12) is made from a sheet metal part and is formed in particular by a one-piece bent part made from a spring steel sheet.

8. Elevator (10) with an elevator car (2) and two guide rails (3) for guiding the elevator car (2), wherein the guide rails (3) extending in the longitudinal direction (z) each contain a U-shaped guide channel (11), wherein the elevator car (2) is equipped with roller guide shoes (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7 for guiding the elevator car on the guide rails (3).

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