Abstract:
An elevator car has a car body with movably mounted car door leaves having upper guide rollers and a roof frame which stabilizes the car body. In addition, there is a door drive for moving the car door leaves and a horizontal door guide rail for mounting and guiding the car door leaves. A door drive carrier is arranged on a horizontal surface on an upper face of the roof frame horizontally along an upper front horizontal edge of the car body. The door drive carrier has a vertical surface section which runs parallel to a vertical front side of the roof frame and a horizontal surface section which runs parallel to the horizontal surface of the roof frame. The guide rail is fastened directly to the vertical front side of the roof frame.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The invention relates to an elevator car having at least one car door leaf mounted horizontally displaceably on the elevator car. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The design and construction of elevator systems is based on the principle that as little installation space as possible is taken up by functional units and components so that a greater share of the small installation space in the elevator shaft is available for an elevator car having the greatest possible floor space of the passenger area. 
         [0003]    Additional passenger area can be obtained in particular in the installation space between the front face of the elevator car and the front wall of the elevator shaft, in which the car doors and the shaft doors with the door drive components, the car door/shaft door coupling device and safety mechanisms, etc. are arranged. 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic illustration of details of the car body  1  of a known elevator car. The expression “car body” is to be understood in the present description to mean the part of an elevator car which forms a closable housing and normally comprises a car floor, a car ceiling, wall elements connecting the car floor and the car ceiling, and a door system. Such a car body can be supported by a car frame, wherein the car frame is suspended from bearing means and is guided on car guide rails in an elevator shaft. However, a car body can also be self-supporting, wherein a separate car frame is not provided and the car body is suspended directly at bearing means via guide elements attached to the car body and is guided on car guide rails. 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  shows a sectional view through a front upper part of the car body  1  of an elevator car. A car door leaf  10 . 1  can be seen to the left in  FIG. 1 . The car door leaf  10 . 1  comprises a carriage  15 , which is formed by a plate  11 . 1  with guide rollers  12 . This carriage  15  moves along a door guide rail  2 , which is connected mechanically to a door support profile  3  via a spacer  9 , said door support profile being fastened to front profiles  1 . 1  of the car body  1 . This type of suspension of the carriage  15  allows a horizontal opening and closing movement of the car door leaf  10 . 1  in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. At the lower end, the car door leaf  10 . 1  can be guided for example in a guide groove  5 . 2  in a car door sill  5 . 1  of the car floor  5 .  FIG. 1  shows that a car door/shaft door coupling device  14  is attached typically on the front face so as to convert a horizontal displacement of a car door leaf  10 . 1  into a synchronous horizontal displacement of a shaft door leaf. JP-2009208947 describes such a door support profile. 
         [0006]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic perspective illustration of details of a further known elevator car. The “car body”  1 , which is normally supported by a car frame (not shown here) which is suspended from bearing means and is guided on car guide rails in the elevator shaft, is illustrated. In this case, a car floor  5 , a ceiling panel  6 , a side wall  7 , a front wall  8  and two car door leaves  10 . 1  and  10 . 2  can be seen. Each car door leaf  10 . 1 ,  10 . 2  is suspended from a carriage  15 , which comprises a plate  11 . 1  and  11 . 2  with guide rollers  12  (the guide rollers  12  cannot be seen in this case, since they are arranged behind the plates  11 . 1 ,  11 . 2 ). The two carriages  15  move along a door guide rail  2 , which is formed in this case of two profile strips  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2  arranged in a vertical plane. These profile strips  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2  are fastened to a C-shaped door support profile  3 . This C-shaped door support profile  3  in this case comprises a lower horizontal strip  3 . 3 , a rear vertical face  3 . 2 , and an upper horizontal strip  3 . 4 . The C-shaped door support profile  3  is fastened in the upper region of the front wall  8  of the car body  1 . This type of suspension and guidance of the carriages  15  enables a horizontal opening and closing movement of the car door leaves  10 . 1 ,  10 . 2 . At their lower end, the car door leaves  10 . 1 ,  10 . 2  can be guided in a guide groove in the car door sill  5 . 1  of the car floor  5 . The car door/elevator door coupling devices  14  are also shown in this figure. 
         [0007]    Elements which take up an unnecessarily large amount of installation space and contribute unnecessarily to overall mass are provided in the installation space on the front face  8  of the car body  1 . 
         [0008]    The moved mass of the elevator car plays a role in the optimization of the overall elevator system, since this mass accelerates during each journey of the elevator car and has to be slowed down. This results in conflicts of interest, for example between the requirement for sufficient load-bearing capacity and stability of the elevator car and the requirement for minimal mass. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    In consideration of the disadvantages of known solutions, the object is to present a space-saving and weight-saving device for moving and guiding the car door leaves. 
         [0010]    Details of the invention and the advantages thereof will be explained in greater detail in the following part of the description. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The invention will be described in detail hereinafter on the basis of examples and with reference to the schematic drawings, in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic sectional illustration of part of a car body of a previously known elevator car with a door support profile (door transom); 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic perspective illustration of a further previously known elevator car with a C-profile serving as a door support profile (door transom); 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic sectional illustration of the front upper part of an elevator car according to the invention with a drive means support fitted on a ceiling frame of the car body; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a schematic sectional illustration of the front upper part of a further elevator car according to the invention with a drive means support fitted on a ceiling frame of the car body; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows a schematic sectional illustration of the front upper part of a further elevator car according to the invention with a drive means support fitted on a ceiling frame of the car body; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  shows a schematic sectional illustration of the front upper part of a further elevator car according to the invention with a drive means support fitted on a ceiling frame of the car body; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  shows a schematic sectional illustration of the ceiling region of a further elevator car according to the invention with a drive means support integrated in the ceiling panel of the car body; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  shows a schematic sectional view through a ceiling frame profile of the car body of an elevator car according to the invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  shows a schematic perspective view of a car body of a further elevator car according to the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    In the following exemplary embodiments, like reference characters denote like or functionally like components. 
         [0022]    A first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to  FIG. 3 . In this figure, the upper front part of a car body  1  of an elevator car is shown in a schematic sectional illustration. The section runs through a front hollow profile of a ceiling frame  50 . This ceiling frame  50  is part of the car body  1  and is used, inter alia, to stabilize the car body. The interior of the car body  1  is indicated in  FIG. 3  by the reference letter I. The car body  1  has a plurality of wall elements, which serve as perpendicular car walls  7 ,  8 . The wall elements can be fastened for example internally or externally to the ceiling frame  50  depending on the embodiment, as indicated with reference to the front wall  8 . 
         [0023]    The car body  1  further comprises at least one car door leaf  10 . 1 , which is arranged in the region of the front face of the car body containing the car doors. The car door leaf  10 . 1  is suspended from a carriage  15  having guide rollers  12 . A door guide rail  2  serves to guide the guide rollers  12  of the carriage  15  of the car door leaf  10 . 1  and therefore to guide the entire car door leaf. The door guide rail  2  is arranged on the vertical front face  56  of the ceiling frame  50  and is fastened directly to the ceiling frame  50  via at least one spacer  9 . Such a spacer could be omitted, and the door guide rail  2  could rest directly against the ceiling frame if the door guide rail were to have a cross-section corresponding approximately to the joint cross-section of the illustrated door guide rail  2  and the spacer  9 . 
         [0024]    Drive means are provided to move the car door leaf  10 . 1 . In the present case and hereinafter, the expression “drive means” is understood primarily to mean a car door drive with the following components: a door drive motor  61  with a drive shaft  65  ( FIG. 5 ), a drive pulley  62 , a circulating door drive belt  63 , a driver  64  and a belt return roller  66  (not visible in  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0025]    The door drive motor  61  drives the drive pulley  62  via the drive shaft  65  (see  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  9 ) and also drives the door drive belt  63  therewith. The driver  64 , via which the door drive belt moves the carriage  15  and thus also the car door leaf  10 . 1 , is coupled to this door drive belt  63 . A car door/shaft door coupling device  14 , which is designed to transfer the opening movement of the car door (in this case the car door leaf  10 . 1 ) to an opposite shaft door (not shown) when a floor is reached is also arranged on the carriage  15 . 
         [0026]    The above-mentioned drive means  61 - 66  for driving the car door leaf  10 . 1  guided on the door guide rail  2  are arranged on a drive means support  30 . The drive means support  30  is fastened in the upper region of the front face  8  of the car body  1  to the ceiling frame  50  and has a Z-shaped cross-section. In this embodiment it runs in the region of the upper face  53  of the ceiling frame  50  along the upper horizontal edge  54  on the front face  8  of the car body  1 . In this case, the drive means support  30  has a vertical surface portion  31 , which runs parallel to the front face  8  of the car body  1 , wherein the surface portion  31  is preferably aligned with the front face  56  of the ceiling frame  50  and forms a common vertical surface therewith. The drive means support  30  further comprises a horizontal surface portion  32 , which runs at right angles to the front face  8  of the car body  1  and extends parallel to the horizontal surface  55  of the ceiling frame  50 . The drive means support  30  is preferably connected to the horizontal surface  55  of the ceiling frame  50  via its horizontal surface portion  32 . In addition, the drive means support  30  comprises a further surface portion  33 , which extends approximately horizontally over said drive means  61 - 66  from the vertical surface portion  31  and protects said drive means against falling objects and against pollution. 
         [0027]    Compared to the prior art, the conventional C-shaped door support profile  3  (see  FIG. 2 ) has thus been eliminated. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the door guide rail  2  which was attached to this door support profile in the known prior art is fastened directly, or via at least one spacer, to the vertical front face  56  of the ceiling frame  50 , and the door guidance forces are correspondingly introduced into this ceiling frame  50 . The above-described drive means support  30  has been fitted and fastened from above on the ceiling frame  50  so as to be able to house all components previously arranged on the door support profile  3  on the front face  8  of the car body  1  of the elevator car. 
         [0028]    Since the drive means support  30  sits on the top of the ceiling frame  50 , less installation space is taken up on the front face  8  of the car body  1  than in the known embodiment with a C-shaped drive support profile according to the above prior art. In addition, the drive means support  30  reinforces the rigidity of the ceiling frame  50  as a result of its fixed connection to the ceiling frame  50 . The ceiling frame  50  and the drive support profile  30  are preferably designed and dimensioned jointly so that they together have the necessary rigidity. Nevertheless, this spatially optimized arrangement provides a uniform, planar or practically planar vertical surface for the arrangement and fastening of the drive means mentioned. 
         [0029]    A further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Only those elements which differ from the elements of  FIG. 3  will be described hereinafter. Reference is made to the description of  FIG. 3  for the remaining elements. 
         [0030]    In the embodiment according to  FIG. 4 , the drive means support  30  is also arranged on the upper face  53  of the horizontal surface  55  of the ceiling frame  50 . The door drive motor  61  and the other drive means  62 ,  63  are arranged on the vertical surface portion  31  of the drive means support  30 . The door guide rail  2  for the carriage  15  is fastened directly, or via at least one spacer  9 , to the vertical front face  56  of the ceiling frame  50 . The carriage consists substantially of a bent sheet profile  11 . 1  (in this case illustrated by a thick black line) and guide rollers  12  arranged on this sheet profile. 
         [0031]    The drive means support  30  of the second embodiment according to  FIG. 4  likewise has a Z-shaped cross-section and comprises the horizontal surface portion  32 , the vertical surface portion  31 , and the further horizontal surface portion  33 . 
         [0032]    The advantages mentioned above for the embodiment according to  FIG. 3  also apply to this embodiment. 
         [0033]    The installation depths A 1  are identical or practically identical in the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The installation depth A 1  relates to all elements of the drive means support  30  and to the drive elements  61 - 66 , which protrude beyond the vertical front face  56  of the ceiling frame  50 . The installation depth A 1  also comprises the car door/shaft door coupling device  14 . 
         [0034]    The front shaft wall is indicated schematically in  FIGS. 3 and 4  by the reference numeral  4 . 
         [0035]    A sectional view of a further embodiment is shown in  FIG. 5 . Only those elements which differ from the elements of  FIGS. 3 and 4  will be described hereinafter. Reference is hereby made to the description of  FIGS. 3 and 4  for the remaining elements.  FIG. 5  is a schematic illustration which, in this case, only shows the drive means support  30 , the front (hollow) support of the ceiling frame  50 , the door drive motor  61  and the drive pulley  62  with the door drive belt  63 , and the drive shaft  65 . The drive means support  30  is also fastened on the upper face  53  of the horizontal surface  55  of the ceiling frame  50  in this embodiment. The vertical front face  31  of the drive means support  30  and the vertical front face  56  of the ceiling frame  50  again form an overall surface, since both surfaces are aligned. The door drive motor  61  is arranged in this case in a recess in the drive means support  30 , wherein either the door drive motor  61  or merely the drive shaft  65  thereof projects through the recess. A large part of the door drive motor  61 , or the entire door drive motor  61 , thus lies on the rear side (in this case on the right-hand side) of the drive means support  30 . The door drive motor  61  can be protected by a metal sheet or by a housing  67 . 
         [0036]    The drive means support  30  of the second embodiment according to  FIG. 5  likewise has a Z-shaped cross-section and comprises the horizontal surface portion  32 , the vertical surface portion  31 , and the further horizontal surface portion  33 . 
         [0037]    It is an advantage of this embodiment that the distance between the drive pulley  62  and the vertical front face  31  of the drive means support  30  is not defined by dimensions of the door drive motor  61 , since the door drive motor  61  sits at least partially in the aforementioned recess in the drive means support  30 . Due to this positioning of the door drive motor  61 , the drive pulley  62  can sit more closely on the vertical front face  31 , and therefore the horizontal surface portion  33  of the drive means support  30  can also be formed so as to be shorter if required (that is to say this surface portion  33  does not project as far beyond the vertical front face  56  of the ceiling frame  50  as in the prior art). The installation depth A 2  is less in this case than in  FIG. 3  or  4 , that is to say A 2 &lt;A 1 . In particular, the installation depth A 2  is much smaller than in the prior art. 
         [0038]    A sectional view of a further embodiment is shown in  FIG. 6 . Only those elements which differ from the elements of  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  will be described hereinafter. Reference is hereby made to the description of  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  for the remaining elements.  FIG. 6  is a schematic illustration, which, in this case merely shows the drive means support  30 , the front (hollow) support of the ceiling frame  50 , the door drive motor  61  and the drive pulley  62  with the door drive belt  63 , and the drive shaft  65 . The drive means support  30  is also fastened on the upper face  53  of the horizontal surface  55  of the ceiling frame  50  in this embodiment. The vertical front face  31  of the drive means support  30  and the vertical front face  56  of the ceiling frame  50  again form an overall surface, since both surfaces are aligned. In this case, the door drive motor  61  is inserted completely into the drive means support  30 . 
         [0039]    By contrast to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , an L-shaped drive means support  30  is used in this case. This drive means support  30  does not have a horizontal surface portion  33 , as in the embodiment according to  FIG. 5 . The installation depth A 3  is still less than in  FIG. 5 , that is to say A 3 &lt;A 2 . 
         [0040]    A sectional view of a further embodiment is illustrated in  FIG. 7  in highly schematic form. This embodiment is characterized in that the drive means support  30  comprises a horizontal surface portion  32 , which extends over the entire ceiling depth W of the car body  1  and forms the car ceiling of the car body. Since, in this embodiment, the horizontal surface portion  32  of the drive means support  30  extends over the entire ceiling depth W, the entire car body  1  is additionally stabilized. 
         [0041]    The drive means support  30  is preferably welded to the ceiling frame  50 . However, it can also be screwed, as indicated schematically in  FIG. 4  by a screw connection  51 . This form of the screw connection  51  can be applied to all embodiments. A plurality of screws are required over the length of the drive means support  30  so as to connect it to the ceiling frame  50 . Only in this way can the drive means support  30  be a bearing or concomitantly bearing element of the ceiling frame  50 . A riveted or adhesively bonded connection may also be used in the alternative. 
         [0042]      FIG. 8  shows a schematic sectional view through a front portion of a ceiling frame  50 , in which the drive means support  30  is integrated in the ceiling frame profile. The profile of the ceiling frame  50  with the integrated drive means support  30  is produced from a single piece of sheet metal or flat steel. The vertical surface portion  31  of the drive means support  30  and the vertical front face  56  of the ceiling frame  50  in this case form a unit having a common front face. An end edge can be welded at right angles onto the rear face so as to close the profile of the ceiling frame  50  to form a hollow profile. The corresponding weld seams  52  are indicated schematically in  FIG. 8 . In addition to the advantages already discussed, this embodiment also provides the advantage that fewer parts are used on the whole. In addition, this embodiment is very rigid, although relatively little material has to be used. The front face of this ceiling frame  50  is completely flat over its entire length. The drive elements ( 61 - 66 ) can be fastened without difficulty in the entire region of this front face of the ceiling frame. 
         [0043]      FIG. 9  shows a schematic perspective view of the car body  1  of a further elevator car according to the invention. In this case too, reference is again made to the description of the previous embodiments. Different details, which were not visible in the sectional illustrations of the other figures, can be seen in  FIG. 9 . 
         [0044]    A peripheral ceiling frame  50  is arranged in the region of the upper face of the car body  1 . This ceiling frame  50  can be welded together from hollow profiles (as can be seen in  FIG. 3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6  or  7 ). The wall elements  7 ,  8  and other elements of the car body  1 , for example the ceiling panel  6 , are arranged on this ceiling frame  50 . A floor frame  57  may be arranged in the floor region of the car body  1 . This floor frame  57  may be largely identical to the ceiling frame  50 . A Z-shaped drive means support  30  sits on the upper face of the ceiling frame  50  in the region of the front face of the car body  1 , as described above. This drive means support  30  supports the drive means, that is to say the door drive motor  61 , the drive pulley  62 , a belt return roller  66 , and the circulating door drive belt  63  with the drivers  64 . The drivers  64  engage with the door drive belt  63  and move the plates  11 . 1 ,  11 . 2  of the two carriages  15 . Guide rollers  12  (not visible in this case) roll along a horizontal door guide rail  2 . This door guide rail  2  is formed of a flat profile, which is fastened directly, or via at least one spacer, to the vertical front face  56  of the ceiling frame  50  forming part of the car body  1 . The stability of the ceiling frame  50  is increased by the drive means support  30 , which is screwed on or welded on. 
         [0045]    The embodiments shown can be applied to various elevator cars. For example, the technical teaching can be transferred to elevator cars either with or without a car frame, to elevator cars with upper or lower support rollers or with support means fixing points, and to elevator cars having door systems of any type. 
         [0046]    Some further advantages of the described embodiments shown in the figures will be summarized hereinafter. On the whole, less material is required with the elevator cars according to the invention than with conventional solutions, because, on the one hand, the door support profile provided in elevator cars according to the prior art is largely omitted, and also because the ceiling frame  50  can be designed so as to be less stable, since the cooperation between the drive support profile  30  and ceiling frame  50  increases the stability of the ceiling frame. The overall mass on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the costs of the elevator car are thus reduced. Due to the reduction in the installation depth A 1 , A 2 , A 3  required for the door assembly, a greater interior of the car body  1  can be formed with given dimensions of the elevator shaft. In addition, assembly is less complex, since the drive support profile  30  can be assembled on the car body at the factory. The drive means  61 - 66  and the door guide rail  2  (or  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ) can also be preassembled and above all also adjusted, for example at the factory. On the whole, a more precise and quieter guidance of the car door leaves  10 . 1 ,  10 . 2  is thus provided, and it is ensured, due to the relatively precise adjustment possible at the factory, that merely minimal wear occurs on the door drive belt  63 . In addition, the ceiling frame  50  can be designed so as to be less stable, since the cooperation between the drive support profile  30  and the ceiling frame  50  results in increased stability. 
         [0047]    In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.