Patent Publication Number: US-11390492-B2

Title: Method and assembly for positioning an elevator door interlock

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Elevator systems are in widespread use for carrying passengers between various levels in buildings, for example. Access to an elevator car requires that elevator car doors open when the car is at a landing at which a passenger desires to board the elevator car, for example. Each landing includes hoistway doors that move with the elevator car doors between open and closed positions. 
     There are various known coupler and interlock arrangements for coupling the elevator car doors to the hoistway doors so that the door mover that causes movement of the car doors also causes desired movement of the hoistway doors. Most door couplers include a set of vanes supported on the elevator car door structure. Most interlocks include a set of rollers supported on the hoistway door structure. When the rollers are received adjacent the vanes, it is possible to move both doors together. The movement of the car doors includes one of the vanes pushing on one of the rollers to move the hoistway door in one direction and the other vane pushing on the other roller to move the hoistway door in the other direction. 
     It is believed that elevator door system components account for approximately 50% of elevator maintenance requests and 30% of callbacks. Almost half of the callbacks due to a door system malfunction are related to one of the interlock functions. 
     Another drawback associated with known interlock arrangements is that the process of installing the interlocks along the hoistway is time-consuming and undesirably complicated. Each interlock has to be positioned to receive the coupler vanes as the elevator car approaches the corresponding landing. Inaccurate interlock placement may result in undesired contact between the coupler vanes and the interlock as the elevator car passes the landing, for example. Additionally, adjusting the rollers to achieve the necessary alignment with the coupler requires adjusting the position of the corresponding hoistway door lock and switch to ensure that the interlock properly cooperates with the lock. If the lock and switch components are not accurately positioned, the elevator may not perform reliably as indications from the switches along the hoistway are needed to ensure that all hoistway doors are closed before the elevator car moves along the hoistway. 
     SUMMARY 
     An illustrative example method of positioning an elevator door interlock includes positioning an elevator car in a hoistway near the hoistway door so that at an elevator door coupler is aligned with the interlock, opening a door of the elevator car and the hoistway door, accessing an adjustment mechanism supporting the interlock from outside of the hoistway, and using the adjustment mechanism to adjust a position of the interlock relative to the hoistway door from outside the hoistway. 
     In an embodiment having one or more features of the method of the previous paragraph, using the adjustment mechanism to adjust the position of the interlock includes causing relative movement between the hoistway door and the interlock until the hoistway door is in a selected alignment with the door of the elevator car. 
     In an embodiment having one or more features of the method of any of the previous paragraphs, the method includes subsequently securing the interlock in the adjusted position relative to the hoistway door. 
     In an embodiment having one or more features of the method of any of the previous paragraphs, securing the interlock occurs at least partially inside the hoistway. 
     In an embodiment having one or more features of the method of any of the previous paragraphs, accessing and using the adjustment mechanism is performed by an individual supported on at least one of a landing floor or a floor of the elevator car. 
     An illustrative example elevator door assembly includes a hoistway door that is moveable between an open and a closed position. The hoistway door includes a vertically oriented edge that is visible when the hoistway door is in the open position. An interlock includes a latch that is moveable between a door locking position and a released position, a lock that cooperates with the latch to lock the hoistway door when the latch is in the locking position, and at least one bumper configured to be contacted by a vane of an elevator door coupler at least for moving the latch into the released position. An adjustment mechanism that is accessible along the vertically oriented edge of the hoistway door when the hoistway door is in the open position selectively moves the interlock to adjust a position of the at least one bumper relative to the hoistway door. 
     In an embodiment having one or more features of the elevator door assembly of the previous paragraph, the adjustment mechanism comprises a carrier, the interlock being supported at least partially on the carrier, a moving member and a follower associated with the carrier, the follower moving responsive to movement of the moving member selectively move the carrier and the interlock. 
     In an embodiment having one or more features of either of the elevator door assemblies of any of the previous paragraphs, the moving member comprises a rod having one end situated near the vertically oriented edge of the hoistway door and the follower moves longitudinally along the rod. 
     In an embodiment having one or more features of any of the elevator door assemblies of any of the previous paragraphs, the rod is threaded, the rod is selectively rotated and the follower moves longitudinally along the rod responsive to rotation of the rod. 
     In an embodiment having one or more features of any of the elevator door assemblies of any of the previous paragraphs, the carrier comprises a carrier bracket and the follower comprises at least one nut coupled with the carrier bracket. 
     The various features and advantages of an example embodiment will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  schematically illustrates selected portions of an elevator system including a door interlock designed according to an embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is schematically shows an example elevator door interlock assembly designed according to an embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 3  schematically shows an example technique of adjusting the position of the example interlock assembly of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart diagram summarizing an adjustment technique according to an embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of this invention provide an elevator door interlock assembly and a method that allows the interlock to be adjusted for proper alignment with an elevator car door coupler without requiring an individual to enter a hoistway. 
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates selected portions of an elevator system  20 . An elevator car  22  includes car doors  24  that are situated adjacent hoistway doors  26  when the elevator car  22  is parked at a landing  27 . At least one vane  28  of a door coupler associated with the elevator car doors  24  cooperates with an interlock  30  associated with the hoistway doors  26  so that the elevator car doors  24  and the hoistway doors  26  move together between open and closed positions. A position of the interlock  30  relative to the hoistway door  26  can be adjusted without requiring an individual, such as a mechanic or technician, to enter a hoistway  32 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an assembly  33  including the interlock  30  of an example embodiment. The interlock  30  includes a latch  34  that is selectively moveable between a locked position (shown in  FIG. 2 ) and a released position. In the locked position, the latch  34  cooperates with a lock  36  to lock the hoistway door  26  so that it cannot be opened. The interlock  30  includes bumpers  38 , which comprise rollers in the illustrated example embodiment. The bumpers  38  cooperate with the vane or vanes  28  of the door coupler for opening and closing the hoistway door  26  with the elevator car door  24 . The manner in which the interlock  30  and door coupler cooperate for unlocking and moving the hoistway door  26  is known. 
     The interlock  30  is configured to be supported on a component of the hoistway door  26 , such as the hanger bracket  40 . Rollers  42  associated with the hanger bracket  40  follow a track  44  during movement of the hoistway door  26 . 
     The manner in which the interlock  30  is positioned relative to the hoistway door  26  depends on an adjustment mechanism  50 . In this example, the adjustment mechanism  50  includes a carrier bracket  52 . The interlock  30  is secured to the carrier bracket  52  by fasteners  54 . A follower  56  associated with the carrier bracket  52  follows along a moving member  58 . In this example embodiment, the moving member  58  comprises a threaded rod having one end  60  that is accessible along one vertically oriented edge  62  of the hoistway door  26 . The vertically oriented edge  62  is visible or exposed when the hoistway door  26  is open. In the illustrated example embodiment, the end  60  is configured with a drive head or socket, for example, to allow the moving member  58  to be rotated by an individual situated near the vertical edge  62  of the hoistway door  26 . The follower  56  in this example comprises a threaded member, such as a nut, that moves along the threaded rod  58  causing horizontal translation of the carrier bracket  52  and interlock  30  relative to the hoistway door  26  as schematically represented by the arrows  64  based on rotary movement of the threaded rod  58 . 
     In the example embodiment of  FIG. 2 , fasteners  66  coupled with the hanger bracket  40  and slots  68  on the carrier bracket  52  cooperate to establish a range of adjustment possible between the interlock  30  and the hoistway door  26 . The fasteners  66  in this example embodiment also allow for securing the carrier bracket  52  and the interlock  30  in a desired position relative to the hanger bracket  40  and hoistway door  26 . 
     The interlock  30  in this example is designed such that lateral movement of the latch  34  results in corresponding lateral movement of the lock  36 . A mechanical coupling or interaction between the latch  34  and the lock  36  ensures a consistent alignment between the latch  34  and the lock  36  to avoid additional adjustments required between those components once the desired interlock position has been obtained. 
     As schematically shown in  FIG. 3 , an individual  70  can access the end  60  of the moving member  58  when the individual  70  is positioned near the vertical edge  62  of the hoistway door  26 . In the illustration, the individual  70  does not need to enter the hoistway  32  for purposes of adjusting a position of the interlock  30  relative to the hoistway door  26 . Such adjustments are necessary to properly align the bumpers  38  with the vanes  28  of the elevator car door coupler. The individual  70  may stand on the landing floor  27 , the elevator car floor  72 , or both as illustrated and utilize a tool  74  to cause the adjustment mechanism  50  to adjust the position of the interlock  30  as desired. Without an adjustment mechanism, such as the adjustment mechanism  50 , the individual  70  would have had to enter the hoistway  32 , typically on top of the elevator car  22 , to gain access to the interlock  30  for purposes of adjusting a position of the interlock  30 . With the example embodiment, the individual  70  remains outside of the hoistway  32 , which eliminates multiple potential concerns associated with an individual entering the hoistway  32 . 
     In the illustrated example, the individual  70  uses a tool  74 , such as a powered driver or drill, to rotate the threaded rod  58  to cause movement of the interlock  30  into a desired alignment with the door coupler. 
       FIG. 4  includes a flowchart diagram  80  summarizing an example approach for achieving a desired alignment between a door coupler and the interlock  30 . At  82 , an authorized individual positions the elevator car  22  at the landing  27 . At  84 , the elevator car doors  24  open. Assuming some interaction between the door coupler and the interlock  30 , the hoistway door  26  will open with the elevator car door. Once the elevator car door is fully opened and held in that position, the individual  70  stands on the landing floor  27 , the floor of the elevator car  72  or both at  86 . At  88 , the individual  70  adjusts the position of the interlock  30  using the adjustment mechanism  50 . According to this technique, the elevator car door  24  is in a set position and the interlock  30  is engaged with the door coupler. The adjustment mechanism  50  causes relative movement between the interlock  30  and the hoistway door  26 . With the elevator car door  24  in a set position, the adjustment mechanism  50  effectively moves the hoistway door  26 . The individual  70  utilizes the adjustment mechanism  50  to adjust the position of the interlock  30  relative to the hoistway door  26  until the hoistway door is properly aligned with the elevator car door at  88 . 
     For example, aligning the vertically oriented edge  62  of the hoistway door  26  with a corresponding edge of the elevator car door  24  in the fully opened position will result in the interlock  30  being in a position relative to the hoistway door  26  that provides proper alignment with the door coupler. When the elevator car door  24  closes, the alignment between the vertically oriented edges of the doors will bring the hoistway door  26  to a fully closed position leaving the interlock  30  in the proper location for appropriate engagement with the vanes  28  of the door coupler during elevator system operation. Such door alignment may vary depending on the particular door configuration. 
     According to the example of  FIG. 4 , the position of the interlock  30  is secured in a desired position at  90 . In embodiments where the adjustment mechanism  50  includes a ratchet-style configuration, the interlock  30  may be automatically secured in a selected position upon the final adjustment of the adjustment mechanism. 
     In some embodiments, a final position of the lock  36  is secured by an individual gaining access to the lock components from inside the hoistway  32  to secure the lock  36  in the appropriate position. Even in situations where such hoistway access is required, there still are efficiencies obtained by allowing for the adjustment mechanism  50  to be accessed from outside the hoistway. An individual can, for example, travel to each landing along a hoistway and achieve the proper alignment between the interlocks  30  and the door coupler for each set of landing doors. That individual can subsequently enter the hoistway and secure down any components as needed to maintain the desired final position of the interlock  30  and the lock  36  at each set of hoistway doors. 
     Embodiments of this invention provide for reliable and convenient alignment between hoistway door interlocks and the elevator car door coupler. Such alignment is possible without requiring an individual to enter a hoistway or climb on top of an elevator car. 
     The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this invention. The scope of legal protection given to this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.