Elevator system comprising a suspended cable
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR INNOVATION AND OPERATIONS GMBH
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
Smart Images
Figure EP2026051092_30072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] TKE0002P20WO - 1 - January 2026
[0002] Elevator system with suspended cable
[0003] Technical field
[0004] The following descriptions relate to an elevator system comprising a vertical elevator shaft with an upper shaft ceiling, a car movable in the elevator shaft via a vertical travel path, and a cable attached in the area of the shaft ceiling and suspended from an underside of the car for signal connection and / or power connection between the car and at least one component of the elevator system located in the area of the shaft ceiling.
[0005] Technical background
[0006] Elevator systems for transporting people and / or goods are an integral part of modern residential and commercial buildings. A typical elevator system comprises one or more elevator shafts, in each of which one or more cars are moved between landing positions by means of drives such as suspension drives.
[0007] In such elevator systems, it is known to provide suspended cables in the elevator shaft for data and / or power connection between the car and components of the elevator system, such as a control unit, located in the shaft head or in a machine room situated above the elevator shaft. These cables are attached to the shaft ceiling on one side and to the underside of the car on the other, forming a more or less elongated suspension loop depending on the car's position in the shaft. When the car is in a lower position, the weight of the suspended cable held by the shaft ceiling attachment is particularly high, resulting in significant stress on both the attachment and a relatively high tensile load in the cable itself.To withstand such a tensile load, the cable must be exceptionally robust and therefore require a significant advantage, particularly in the case of very high elevator shafts such as those found in high-rise buildings. TKE0002P20WO -2 - January 2026.
[0008] It is also known to terminate the cable at a point further down in the elevator shaft, with this point being connected to the components located in the shaft ceiling via additional data transmission equipment. However, this approach requires a large number of components, particularly several cables, which, or their connections to each other, can be prone to faults and damage, and involves a relatively complex installation.
[0009] From CN 221274935 U a guide for a carrying cable of an elevator system is known.
[0010] Given this situation, the task at hand is to reduce the tensile loads occurring in a suspended cable in an elevator system in a simple way.
[0011] Description - Technical Solution
[0012] The present problem is solved by the features of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings. Where technically feasible, the teachings of the dependent claims can be combined arbitrarily with those of the main and dependent claims.
[0013] In particular, the problem is solved by an elevator system comprising a vertical elevator shaft with an upper shaft ceiling, a car movable in the elevator shaft via a vertical travel path, and a cable attached in the area of the shaft ceiling and suspended from an underside of the car for signal and / or power connection between the car and at least one component of the elevator system arranged in the area of the shaft ceiling, wherein a wrapping means is arranged in the elevator shaft along the travel path and at a distance from the shaft ceiling, and wherein the cable wraps around the wrapping means at least once.
[0014] Advantageous aspects are explained below, followed by a description of preferred modified embodiments. Explanations, particularly regarding advantages and definitions of features, are essentially descriptive and preferred, but not definitive. TKE0002P20WO -3 - January 2026
[0015] Non-limiting examples. If an explanation is limiting, this will be explicitly stated.
[0016] Where ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," etc., are used, for example to designate a component, an element, a process step, or a process action, these ordinal numbers are solely for differentiation in the designation and do not indicate any dependencies or sequences. This means, in particular, that a device does not need to have a "first component" to have a "second component." A device can also have a "first component" and a "third component" without necessarily having a "second component." Multiple units with the same ordinal number are also possible, for example, multiple "first components."
[0017] According to the present understanding, an elevator system is designed, for example, with at least one vertical elevator shaft and at least one elevator car, but can also have several elevator shafts and / or several elevator cars, in particular several elevator cars per elevator shaft.
[0018] For example, a car is held and driven by a load-bearing element, wherein a drive device transmits a drive torque to the load-bearing element via a drive shaft. The load-bearing element is preferably connected to a counterweight associated with the car. A drive device is particularly located in a machine room or in the head of a shaft. A load-bearing element is particularly designed as a rope, belt, strap, chain, or the like and carries tensile loads in the direction of its longitudinal extension. Alternatively, a car can also be driven in other ways, for example pneumatically, hydraulically, or by means of a linear drive.
[0019] An elevator shaft is a continuous shaft that extends over several floors of a building and has a cross-section designed for the passage of the elevator car. A shaft ceiling forms the upper termination of the elevator shaft and supports, for example, a drive unit located in the shaft head, i.e., in the area immediately below the shaft ceiling. The shaft ceiling can also be designed as an intermediate ceiling between the elevator shaft and a machine room located above it, in which case a drive unit is located, for example, in the TKE0002P20WO - 4 - January 2026
[0020] The engine room is arranged. The shaft ceiling then simultaneously forms the floor of the engine room, with the drive device, for example, standing on the shaft ceiling or the floor, and has corresponding penetrations.
[0021] A car's travel path is defined as the space between the lowest and highest positions the car can reach, with the lowest and highest positions being landing positions with shaft doors located there. When the car is in the lowest position, i.e., at the lower end of the travel path, a large portion of the cable extends below its mounting point in the shaft ceiling. The required total cable length is determined by this position. When the car is at the upper end of the travel path, approximately half of the cable extends below its mounting point in the shaft ceiling and the other half below its mounting point on the car.The cable thus forms a suspension loop with two legs assigned to the respective fixings, which are of different lengths depending on the position of the car along the travel path and make up a weight proportion of the cable according to their length.
[0022] If the cable is attached in the area of the shaft ceiling, it is attached above the travel path of the elevator car and in the immediate vicinity of the shaft ceiling or to the shaft ceiling itself. For example, the cable is attached to the shaft ceiling itself, to a control unit located there, to a drive device held there, to a component of the elevator system located in the machine room, or to a shaft wall in the area of the shaft ceiling. According to the present disclosure, it is ultimately important that the cable is attached above the travel path to a component fixed opposite the elevator shaft. The cable is preferably attached at one end in each case. If the cable is also attached to the underside of the elevator car, it can be attached to the floor of the elevator car or to the lower part of a side wall of the elevator car, in any case in such a way that it hangs freely downwards from the elevator car.
[0023] A component of the elevator system that is connected to the car via the cable for signaling and / or power supply is, in particular, an elevator control unit, a drive control unit, a brake control unit, a safety device, a power supply unit, and / or a monitoring device. On the car side, the cable is TKE0002P20WO - 5 - January 2026
[0024] in particular connected with a car control system located there, sensors and / or energy consumers arranged on the car.
[0025] A cable, for example, comprises data transmission elements such as metal conductors, particularly copper, aluminum, or steel, or fiber optic cables, and / or energy transmission elements such as metal conductors, particularly copper, aluminum, or steel, as well as a supporting and protective structure such as a plastic or rubber sheath. The cable may also include, for example, a fabric covering, shielding, and / or mechanical reinforcements.
[0026] The solution to the problem with the elevator system described above comprises the teaching that a wrapping device is arranged in the elevator shaft at a distance from the shaft ceiling, and that the cable is wrapped around this device. The wrapping device is thus fixed in the elevator shaft, for example, to a wall of the elevator shaft or by a spacer on the floor or ceiling of the elevator shaft, and is rigidly positioned relative to the elevator shaft. The cable then rests against the wrapping device under friction, so that the wrapping device, according to the Euler-Eytelwein formula, absorbs a tensile load present in the cable. According to the Euler-Eytelwein formula, for a flexible traction element that wraps around a wrapping device and is subjected to a tensile force at one end, holding the other end with a lesser force is sufficient to prevent the traction element from slipping around the wrapping device.A tangential frictional force develops along the contacted wrapping element, which assists in holding the cable. The wrapping element thus creates an additional anchor point for the cable in the elevator shaft, which largely absorbs the weight of the portion of the cable hanging below it and transfers it to the elevator shaft. With the elevator car at the bottom of the travel path, the length of the cable portion hanging from the wrapping element is significantly less than the distance between the car and the shaft ceiling that the portion of the cable on the shaft ceiling would extend without the wrapping element. Consequently, the maximum cable length that must be held at a single attachment point, and thus the maximum tensile force in the cable, is considerably reduced, thereby avoiding the disadvantages of high tensile loads in the cable. TKE0002P20WO - 6 - January 2026.
[0027] The creation of the additional support point formed by the encircling element is particularly advantageous because it only involves positioning the encircling element in the elevator shaft; no interruption or splitting of the cable is required. Therefore, no additional, potentially error-prone connection points are created for data transmission between the elevator car and the additional component. Furthermore, the encircling element can be retrofitted to existing elevator systems with minimal effort.
[0028] A simple wrap corresponds to a wrap angle of 360° when the cable is fed vertically from above and continues vertically downwards. A simple wrap also exists if, due to its routing directly below the wrapping device, the cable is lifted from it to a certain extent in various operating states of the elevator system. Furthermore, a simple wrap also exists if the cable is fed to the wrapping device above it at a slight angle, particularly less than 45°, and runs vertically away from it below, in which case the wrap angle is more or less than 360°, depending on the approach angle.
[0029] Alternatively or additionally, the cable can be designed to wrap around the wrapping element twice. This ensures a particularly secure absorption of tensile forces at the wrapping element.
[0030] Alternatively or additionally, the cable wrapping device can be positioned in the midpoint of the travel path. For example, the wrapping device is positioned approximately one car height below the midpoint of the travel path. The cable then has sufficient length below the wrapping device to follow the movement of the car to either end of the travel path without the cable being stretched between the wrapping device and the car beyond the effect of its own weight. When the car is at its highest point in the travel path, a turning point for the data cable is located directly below the wrapping device. At the same time, the resulting limitation of the cable's weight force at a fastening or support point is largely minimized. TKE0002P20WO - 7 - January 2026
[0031] Alternatively or additionally, the cable can be designed as a flat cable. Such a flat cable already exhibits advantageous bending properties for use as a suspension cable. Furthermore, a flat design, in which one flat side of the cable rests against the wrapping element, allows for particularly high static friction between the cable and the wrapping element, enabling the wrapping element to withstand particularly high forces without the cable slipping.
[0032] Alternatively or additionally, the wrapping element can be designed with a circular cross-section. The cable then lies uniformly and without imperfections against the wrapping element over the circumference of the circular geometry. The wrapping element can be designed, in particular, as a disc or cylinder, for example as a rod or roller, and can furthermore, for example, have a convex or concave curvature of the outer contour.
[0033] Alternatively or additionally, the wrapping element can be cylindrical. The cable can then be wrapped around the wrapping element in several loops, with each loop lying one behind the other in the axial direction of the cylinder, so that each loop lies in full contact with the wrapping element.
[0034] Alternatively or additionally, the wrapping element may be provided with at least a first collar to prevent the cable from slipping off the wrapping element. Particularly with a cylindrical wrapping element, this reliably prevents the cable from slipping off. Preferably, a first collar is arranged at at least one end in the axial direction of the wrapping element.
[0035] Alternatively or additionally, the wrapping element may be provided with at least a second collar for guiding the cable. Such a second collar is then, for example, threaded on the wrapping element, with at least one wrap being guided, in particular, in the axial direction of the wrapping element. TKE0002P20WO - 8 - January 2026
[0036] Alternatively or additionally, the wrapping element can be arranged at an angle to a horizontal direction. This prevents the cable from twisting. Such twisting can occur with a horizontally oriented wrapping element due to the cable's path, which extends circumferentially and axially along the wrapping element. When viewed unwound, the cable is guided obliquely to the side along the wrapping element. The cable can be advantageously wound and unwound without twisting at a suitable angle of the wrapping element's axis to a horizontal direction, with the corresponding angle being individually adjustable depending on the wrapping element and cable. In particular, the elevator system can also include means for adjusting the angle.
[0037] Alternatively or additionally, the wrapping element can be provided with a surface coating or a machined surface to increase its coefficient of friction. For example, the surface is painted, powder-coated, or mechanically machined, such as knurled or brushed. Preferably, the wrapping element is made of a metallic material. This allows for particularly good static friction and, consequently, a particularly high force-absorbing capacity at the wrapping center.
[0038] Alternatively or additionally, the cable can be bonded to the wrapping material. In addition to the frictional connection created between the cable and the wrapping material, an additional bond is formed between the cable and the wrapping material to achieve a particularly high load-bearing capacity at the center of the wrapping.
[0039] Alternatively or additionally, the elevator system may be provided with locking devices for selectively locking or releasing the cable wrapping mechanism. The wrapping mechanism can then be fixed in place during operation of the elevator system to provide a holding point for the cable, while for installation and maintenance purposes, the wrapping mechanism can be released for rotation, for example, to wind or unwind the cable. Mounting or dismounting the cable from the wrapping mechanism can generally be accomplished by pulling the cable through from bottom to top or from top to bottom. Mounting or dismounting the cable from the wrapping mechanism can also be achieved, even with cables already suspended in the elevator shaft, by TKE0002P20WO - 9 - January 2026
[0040] Twisting a strand of the cable located above or below the wrapping device is done to form a loop.
[0041] Alternatively or additionally, the elevator system can be equipped with a brake that acts on the wrapping element to prevent it from rotating. During operation, the wrapping element can then be held in place by the brake under a certain, relatively high braking torque. If this braking torque is exceeded, it can be rotated by a tensile force acting on the cable. In this way, force peaks, for example, in the event of malfunctions, obstructions in the cable's path, or an emergency stop of the elevator car, can be absorbed by the wrapping element's yielding rotation, thus preventing cable breakage. Furthermore, an increase in the cable's tensile force due to building settlement can be compensated for by rotating the wrapping element accordingly against the braking force. Readjusting the wrapping element to compensate for building settlement can also be done manually during maintenance.
[0042] Alternatively or additionally, the cable can be designed to have mechanical reinforcement against tensile loads. The cable can then withstand particularly high tensile loads without being damaged.
[0043] Alternatively or additionally, the radius of the cable wrapping can be designed to correspond to the minimum permissible static bending radius of the cable. This ensures a minimal space requirement for the cable wrapping in the elevator shaft, while preventing damage to the cable from excessive bending.
[0044] Brief description of the drawings
[0045] A preferred technical solution is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. The term "figure" is abbreviated as "Fig." in the drawings.
[0046] The drawings show TKE0002P20WO - 10 - January 2026
[0047] Fig. aa is a schematic representation of an elevator system according to the present disclosure in a first position;
[0048] Fig. 1b shows a further schematic representation of the elevator system according to Fig. 1a in a second position;
[0049] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a wrapping device and a cable guided thereon in a first embodiment; and
[0050] Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of a wrapping device and a cable guided thereon in a second embodiment.
[0051] Detailed description of the drawings
[0052] The described embodiments are merely examples that can be modified and / or supplemented in various ways within the scope of the claims. Each feature described for a particular embodiment can be used independently or in combination with other features in any other embodiment. Each feature described for an embodiment of a particular claim category can also be used accordingly in an embodiment of a different claim category.
[0053] Figures 1a and 1b show an elevator system 1 with an elevator shaft 2 extending in a vertical direction V and a car 3 moving along a travel path F in the elevator shaft 2. Figure 1a shows the uppermost position Fl of the car 3 along the travel path F, while Figure 1b shows the lowest position F.2 of the car 3 along the travel path F. The elevator shaft 2 also has a shaft ceiling 2.1 on which a drive device 5 is arranged. By way of example, the drive device 5 is designed as a suspension drive and supports the car 3 by means of a suspension element 6. Alternatively, but not shown, a drive device 5 can also be arranged in a machine room located above the elevator shaft 2, in which case the suspension element 6 passes through the shaft ceiling 2.1, or the drive device 5 can be assigned to a different type of drive.
[0054] In the area of the shaft ceiling 2.1, a control unit 7 of the elevator system 1 is also located. A cable 8 is suspended from the control unit 7 with a first end 8.1. TKE0002P20WO - 11 - January 2026
[0055] The cable 8 is attached, for example, via a data connector with a retaining clip or the like. The second end 8.2 of the cable is also suspended from an underside 3.1 of the car 3, again for example, via a data connector with a retaining clip or the like. The cable 8 serves as the signal connection between the control unit 7 and the car 3 or a data processing device (not shown) located on the car 3, such as a car controller or a sensor device, and can also serve as the power connection between components of the elevator system 1. Due to its suspended attachment, the cable 8 is guided in the elevator shaft 2 as a loop, with the lowest point 8.3 of the loop being positioned depending on the position of the car 3 along the travel path F. The lowest point 8.3 divides the cable 8 into a car-side leg 8.4 and a shaft-ceiling leg 8.5, wherein the shaft-ceiling leg 8.5 is longer than the car-side leg 8.4 the lower the car 3 is in the elevator shaft 2. When the car 3 is in its lowest position F.2 shown in Figure 1b, the extension of the shaft-ceiling leg 8.5 is at its maximum, and thus so is the tensile load acting on the cable 8 due to its own weight in the area of the shaft-ceiling leg 8.5.
[0056] A wrapping device 10 is also arranged in the elevator shaft 2. This device is shown here as an example directly against a wall 2.2 of the elevator shaft 2 and is cylindrical in shape. The wrapping device 10 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 2 and 3.
[0057] The cable 8 encircles the wrapping element 10 at least once; that is, it approaches the wrapping element 10 from a vertical top, is guided around it, and runs vertically downwards from the wrapping element 10. The cable 8 then extends between its first end 8.1, with which it is suspended from the control unit 7, and the wrapping element 10 along a fixed first extension El. In particular, if the wrapping element 10 is arranged approximately in the middle of the travel path F, the first extension El corresponds to half the travel path F. Between the wrapping element 10 and the lowest point 8.3 of the cable 8, the cable 8 extends further along a second extension E.2, which depends on the car position.Since the wrapping element 10 is fixed in the elevator shaft 2 and is prevented from rotating during operation of the elevator system 1 or at least braked with a relatively high braking torque, it assumes a TKE0002P20WO - 12 - January 2026.
[0058] The tensile load acting in cable 8 is calculated according to the Euler-Eytelwein formula and transferred to the wall 2.2 of the elevator shaft 2. The maximum tensile load acting in the shaft-ceiling leg 8.5 of cable 8 then results from the weight fraction of the portion of cable 8 extending over the second extension E.2, whereas without the wrapping element 10 it would result from the summed weight fraction of the portions extending over the first extension E.1 and over the second extension E.2, and would thus be significantly higher.
[0059] Figure 2 shows the wrapping element 10 with the cable 8 attached to it in a first embodiment in detail. The wrapping element 10 is cylindrical and has two first collars 10.1 at its ends to prevent the cable 8 from slipping off. The cable 8 is a flat cable and wraps around the wrapping element 10 twice. Two loops 11.1, 11.2 of the data cable 8 lie one behind the other in the axial direction A of the wrapping element 10. The loops 11.1, 11.2 can also be separated from each other by threaded second collars, each of which forms a guide for the loops 11.1, 11.2 (not shown).
[0060] The wrapping element 10, as shown in Figure 2, is aligned with its axial direction A parallel to a horizontal direction H. Due to the axial offset of the cable 8's inlet and outlet on the wrapping element 10, the cable 8, when viewed unwound, has an inclined path and therefore twists, which can negatively affect the path of the suspended cable 8 in the elevator shaft 2. The embodiment of the wrapping element 10 shown in Figure 3 counteracts this twisting. In this embodiment, the wrapping element 10, or rather its axial direction A, is inclined at an angle α relative to the horizontal direction H. The cable 8 then runs towards and away from the wrapping element 10 at an angle approximately corresponding to the axial offset. The angle a can be adjusted depending on the circumference of the wrapping means 10 and the width of the cable 8 and is, for example, between 5 and 15°.TKE0002P20WO - 13 - January 2026.
[0061] Reference symbol list
[0062] 1 elevator system
[0063] 2 Elevator shaft of the elevator system
[0064] 2.1 Shaft ceiling of the elevator shaft
[0065] 2.2 Wall of the elevator shaft
[0066] 3 elevator car
[0067] 3.1 Underside of the elevator car
[0068] 5 Drive device
[0069] 6 Lifting devices
[0070] 7 Control unit
[0071] 8 cables
[0072] 8.1 first end of the cable
[0073] 8.2 second end of the cable
[0074] 8.3 lowest point of the cable
[0075] 8.4 Car-side leg of the cable
[0076] 8.5 shaft ceiling side of the cable
[0077] 10 wrapping agents
[0078] 10.1 First collar of the wrapping device
[0079] 11.1 First loop of the cable on the encircling device
[0080] 11.2 second loop of the cable on the encircling device
[0081] A axial direction of the encircling means
[0082] a angle between the axial direction of the wrapping means and the horizontal direction
[0083] E.1 first extension of the cable
[0084] E.2 second extension of the cable
[0085] F Travel path of the elevator car
[0086] F.1 uppermost position of the car on the travel path
[0087] F.2 lowest position of the car on the travel path
[0088] H horizontal direction
[0089] V vertical direction
Claims
TKE0002P20WO - 14 - January 2026 Claims 1. Elevator system (1) comprising a vertical elevator shaft (2) with an upper shaft ceiling (2.1); a car (3) that can travel in the elevator shaft (2) via a vertical track (F); and a cable (8) attached in the area of the shaft ceiling (2.1) and suspended from an underside of the car (3) for signal connection and / or power connection between the car (3) and at least one component of the elevator system (1) arranged in the area of the shaft ceiling (2.1); characterized in that a wrapping means (10) is arranged in the elevator shaft (2) along the travel path (F) and spaced apart from the shaft ceiling (2.1), wherein the cable (8) wraps around the wrapping means (10) at least once.
2. Lifting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cable (8) wraps around the wrapping means (10) twice.
3. Lifting system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wrapping means (10) is arranged in the area of a center of the travel path (F).
4. Elevator system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cable (8) is designed as a flat cable.
5. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapping means (10) has a round cross-section.
6. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapping means (10) is cylindrical.
7. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapping means (10) has at least one first collar (10.1) for preventing the cable (8) from slipping off the wrapping means (10). TKE0002P20WO - 15 - January 2026 8. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapping means (10) has at least a second collar for guiding the cable (8) on the wrapping means (10).
9. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapping means (10) is arranged inclined to a horizontal direction (H).
10. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapping means (10) has a surface coating or machined surface to increase a coefficient of friction.
11. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cable (8) is bonded to the wrapping means (10).
12. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising locking means for selectively locking or releasing a rotation of the wrapping means (10).
13. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a brake acting on the wrapping means (10) to brake a rotation of the wrapping means (10).
14. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cable (8) has a mechanical reinforcement against tensile loads.
15. Lifting system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the radius of the wrapping means (10) corresponds to a minimum permissible static bending radius of the cable (8).