Patent Publication Number: US-9845224-B2

Title: Door arrangement of an elevator

Description:
This application is a continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/FI2014/050753 which has an International filing date of Oct. 2, 2014, and which claims priority to Finnish patent application number 20135982 filed Oct. 2, 2013, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     The present invention relates to a door arrangement of an elevator as defined in the preamble of claim  1 . 
     One problem, among others, in the prior-art sliding doors of an elevator has been the thickness of the door operator and of its support structures, as well as the thickness of the door panels, in the depth direction of the elevator car. In these prior-art solutions the door panels of the sliding doors of the elevator car are usually suspended on a suspension beam above the door in the top part of the elevator car by means of support rollers and a roller race in connection with the suspension beam. One typical example solution of this type of suspension is presented in European patent publication EP 0242545 B1, in which the roller races of the support rollers of the door panels are fixed by means of support elements to the suspension beam structure above the door. The roller races are placed one above the other in a vertical plane at a relatively large vertical distance from each other. The solution according to the patent publication enables a relatively thin door suspension solution, and this makes it well suited for use in, inter alia, elevator modernization projects when changing at the same time old door solutions for newer solutions. Many thicker door solutions known in the art are not well suited for such elevator modernization projects. The door structure according to the EP publication, however, is fairly expensive to manufacture and install because it comprises numerous different components, and these have to be installed in the installation phase to produce a single functional assembly. The installation of this type of door structure is therefore a time-consuming, error-prone and an expensive procedure. A general drawback for other elevator door solutions according to prior art is the large number of different components, awkward installation, heavy door panel structures and door operator structures, and a fairly high cost level. 
     The aim of this invention is to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks and to achieve a novel type of door arrangement of an elevator. The arrangement according to the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the characterization part of claim  1 . Other embodiments of the invention are characterized by what is disclosed in the other claims. Preferably the target door arrangement can be easily and quickly installed. Preferably the target door arrangement is also lightweight and does not comprise many different parts. Another aim is relatively low manufacturing costs and installation costs. An ancillary aim is to achieve advantageous space utilization and suspension of the door panels that is as central as possible. Yet another aim is to achieve a modular door arrangement in which the same door panels and support structures can be used both in the elevator car and in the doors of a landing, and even in the other doors of the building. 
     The invention can be implemented as an elevator door arrangement, wherein at least the suspension beam of the door panels of the elevator car are disposed below the motor of the door operator and the door coupler structure or at least the suspension beam of the door panels of a landing door of the elevator is disposed below the synchronization means of the door panels and the rollers of the door coupler. 
     A suspension beam of the door panels of a solution that implements the invention is preferably an essentially shallow structure. 
     A suspension beam of the elevator car door panels of a solution implementing the invention and the suspension beams of the door panels of landing doors of the solution implementing the invention are essentially similar and at least in cross-section of essentially the same size. 
     Preferably the support rollers of a door panel of a solution implementing the invention are disposed symmetrically with respect to the vertical line of the door panel on both sides of the door panel in such a way that the weight of the door panel is distributed essentially centrally onto the support rollers on both sides of the door panel. 
     Preferably the door panels in a solution implementing the invention extend from below their suspension beams through their suspension beams to above their suspension beams. The door panels can be implemented otherwise also within the scope of the invention e.g. in such a way that separate suspension parts connect to the door panels, in which case the door panels extend from below upwards to just below or to inside the suspension beam and are suspended from the support parts, which comprise support rollers resting on the suspension beam. 
     In a door arrangement implementing the invention preferably the suspension beam of the door panels of the elevator car is below the motor of the door operator and the door coupler structure and the suspension beam of the door panels of a landing door of the elevator is below the synchronization means of the door panels and the rollers of the door coupler. 
     A preferred solution according to the invention is one in which the suspension beam of the car door is immediately on the top edge of the door opening of the elevator car and the suspension beam of a landing door is immediately on the top edge of the door opening of the landing. In this case when a car door and landing door are open, the suspension beams in practice cover the gap looking into the elevator hoistway at the top edge of the door openings, except for a gap of approx. the size of the sill gap. 
     Some inventive embodiments are also discussed in the descriptive section of the present application. The inventive content of the application can also be defined differently than in the claims presented below. The inventive content may also consist of several separate inventions, especially if the invention is considered in the light of expressions or implicit sub-tasks or from the point of view of advantages or categories of advantages achieved. In this case, some of the attributes contained in the claims below may be superfluous from the point of view of separate inventive concepts. Likewise the different details presented in connection with each embodiment can also be applied in other embodiments. In addition it can be stated that at least some of the subordinate claims can, in at least some situations, be deemed to be inventive in their own right. 
     One advantage, among others, that can be achieved by means of the invention is that by means of it a door arrangement that is advantageous in terms of its cost level is achieved, which door arrangement is also easy and quick to install into position and, owing to this ease, also possible installation errors decrease. Another advantage is the lightweight structure and door panels that can easily be disposed centrally, in which case there is no need to take the centering of the moving masses into account in the manufacturing of a door. An advantage of a lightweight structure generally is that it also enables lighter counterweights/compensating weights, lower energy consumption when the elevator car moves and in fast elevators, among others, easier balancing of the car. Likewise fewer raw materials are needed. One advantage is also the small number of parts needed in the door structure, which in turn makes installation easier and lowers the cost level. A significant advantage is the possibility of making the parts as modules, in which case the modularity achieved enables, inter alia, the use of the same door panels and support structures both in the elevator car and in the doors of a landing, and even in the other doors of the building. Yet another advantage is a saving in space, especially in the vertical direction, because the lack of a, generally, high top track enables an essentially shallow structure belonging to the door arrangement in the top part of the elevator car and top part of the floor level. Yet a further advantage is that installation of the doors is possible from the landing. This raises the safety level e.g. in so-called “jump lifts”, in which a door corresponding to a landing door can immediately be installed into position with the arrangement according to the invention once the door opening is revealed after the casting. This is possible because the suspension system is simple. In this case, construction-time door panels can be used as temporary landing doors in so-called “jump lifts”, in which case construction-time impurities, including inter alia dust, small stones, damp, et cetera, in the elevator hoistway do not damage the final door panels and their support rollers. Yet another advantage is the space saving in the depth direction of the elevator car and the visual obstruction created by the suspension beam of the door panels for covering the gap between the elevator car and the front wall of the elevator hoistway. Another advantage is also the shallow structure of the suspension solution for the doors, which enables low-headroom top clearances of the elevator hoistway. 
    
    
     
       In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by the aid of one example of its embodiments with reference to the simplified and diagrammatic drawings attached, wherein 
         FIG. 1  presents a simplified and diagrammatic side view of one door arrangement, according to the invention, of an elevator at the point of one floor level, 
         FIG. 2  presents a simplified and diagrammatic magnified side view of the door arrangement, according to  FIG. 1 , of an elevator at the top part of the elevator car and floor level, 
         FIG. 3  presents a simplified and diagrammatic view of a partially sectioned door arrangement, according to  FIG. 1 , of a landing door of an elevator as seen from the direction of the elevator car, 
         FIG. 4  presents a simplified and diagrammatic oblique top view of one sectioned suspension beam of the door panels belonging to a door arrangement according to the invention, and 
         FIG. 5  presents a simplified and diagrammatic oblique top view of one truncated fixing solution for the parts of the suspension beam of the door panels belonging to a door arrangement according to the invention, at one end of the beam. 
     
    
    
       FIGS. 1 and 2  present a simplified and diagrammatic side view of one door arrangement, according to the invention, of an elevator at the point of one floor level  2 . In the situation according to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the elevator car  1  is to some extent below the lower floor level  2  visible in  FIG. 1 , so that the door structures that are in the top part of the elevator car  1  and of the floor level  2  would be seen more clearly in the figures.  FIG. 1  presents a door arrangement from the height of one complete floor level  2  and in  FIG. 2  the same structure is presented, magnified and only the top part of it. 
     The elevator car  1  comprises a car door arrangement, which comprises e.g. two door panels  3 , opening from the center and forming a sliding door, which door panels are suspended by means of support rollers  5   a  on a suspension beam  5  fixed to the top part of the elevator car  1 . The door operator of the elevator car  1  also comprises a door drive motor  6  above the suspension beam  5 , which motor in this case is an essentially flat, permanently-magnetized, gearless electric motor fixed to the roof structures of the elevator car, in which case its space requirement, particularly in the depth direction of the elevator car  1 , is the minimum possible. Alternatively, the motor can also be a direct-current motor, if e.g. batteries are used in the electrification of the car. The advantage of a direct-current motor is the high torque. For the sake of clarity, the roof structures of the elevator car  1  are not presented in  FIG. 1 . The motor could just as well, however, also be some other type of drive motor. The door structure of the elevator car  1  also comprises a door coupler structure  7  that is above the suspension beam  5  and oriented to the side of the landing door, which door coupler structure opens and closes the landing door in conjunction with the opening and closing of the door of the elevator car  1 . In addition, in the sill  3   a  of the door of the elevator car  1  is a guide groove, in which the guides  3   b  on the bottom edge of a door panel  3  are adapted to travel. One alternative is also that, since a fire-resistance rating is not needed, the door panel can be made to be so thin that the bottom edge of the door simultaneously functions as a bottom guide. In this case separate guides are not needed. 
     Correspondingly, the landing door of the elevator has two door panels  4 , opening from the center and forming a sliding door, which door panels are suspended by means of support rollers  8   a  on a suspension beam  8  fixed to the top part of the floor level  2 , e.g. to a wall element  2   a  at the roof boundary of the floor level  2 . The structures of a landing door additionally comprise at least a lock device  13  above the suspension beam  8  and also door coupler rollers  9  above the suspension beam  8  that are connected to the door coupler structure  7  on the elevator car  1  and point from the landing door towards the elevator car  1 . In order for the center-opening sliding door structure to function in the manner desired and both door panels  4  to open and close at the same speed and at the same time, the door arrangement must have a synchronization means  10  for the door panels, the structure of which means is described in more detail in connection with the description of  FIG. 3 . In addition, in the sill  4   a  of the landing door is a guide groove, in which the guides  4   b , which correspond to the guides  3   b , on the bottom edge of a door panel  4  are adapted to travel. 
     The height positions of the suspension beams  5  and  8  in essentially in the horizontal direction are adapted to each other in such a way that when the elevator car  1  is in its correct position at a floor level  2  the suspension beams  5  and  8  are at essentially the same height as each other. In this case the suspension beams  5  and  8  effectively close the gap between the door of the elevator car  1  and the landing door, so that when the doors are open there is no view from the elevator car  1  into the elevator hoistway via the aforementioned gap. In addition to being a visual factor, this also increases safety. 
       FIG. 3  presents a simplified and diagrammatic view of a partially sectioned door arrangement, according to  FIG. 1 , of a landing door of an elevator as seen from the direction of the elevator car  1 . For the sake of clarity a part of the side wall of the suspension beam  8  on the elevator car  1  side has been cut away at the point of the door panels  4 . In this case both the elevator car  1  side support rollers  8   a  of a door panel  4  are clearly visible on top of the travel surface formed by the bottom flange  8   b  of the suspension beam  8 . Correspondingly, the top flange  8   c  of the suspension beam  8  forms a blocking surface, which prevents the support rollers  8   a  from jumping out of place. The support rollers  8   a  are fixed by means of their center shafts to the door panels  4  and mounted on bearings to rotate around either their center shafts or their shaft fixings. 
     The locking apparatus  13  and the rollers  9  of the door coupler, including the door operator, as well as the synchronization means  10  can be e.g. conventional structures. The synchronization means  10  is composed e.g. of two belt wheels  10   a , each of which is mounted on bearings to a fixed location on the floor level  2 , e.g. to a wall element  2   a  that is at the roof boundary of the floor level  2  and above the suspension beam  8 , between the door panels  4  of the landing and the wall element  2   a . The synchronization means  10  with its parts is behind the door panels  4  in  FIG. 3 , so for the sake of clarity it is drawn with a dot-and-dash line. The belt wheels  10   a  are connected to each other e.g. with a toothed belt  10   b  or corresponding actuator means in such a way that when the toothed belt  10   b  moves, the toothed belt  10   b  rotates both belt wheels  10   a . The first door panel  4  is fixed to the upper part of the toothed belt  10   b  by the aid of a fixing means  11  and the second door panel  4  is fixed to the lower part of the toothed belt  10   b  by the aid of a fixing means  12  in such a way that when the second door panel  4  of a landing door moved by the door coupler structure  7  of the door operator of the elevator car  1  moves in one direction, the first door panel  4  moves, moved by the toothed belt  10   b , in the second direction at the same speed as the first door panel  4 . In this way the door panels  4  open and close synchronously with each other. Also a V-belt, chain or different ropes can, instead of a toothed belt  10   b , be used for the synchronization. 
       FIG. 4  presents a simplified and diagrammatic oblique top view of one sectioned suspension beam  5 ,  8  of the door panels  3 ,  4  belonging to a door arrangement according to the invention. In  FIG. 4  the suspension beam  5 ,  8  is truncated and only one of its ends is presented. The suspension beam  5 ,  8  is composed e.g. of two C-beams fixed face-to-face to each other at their flanges, the bottom flanges  8   b  and top flanges  8   c  of which C-beams are attached to each other at both their ends, but in which flanges  8   b ,  8   c  a gap  16  is cut for the lead-in of the door panels  3 ,  4 . The gap  16  can also be implemented e.g. by situating an intermediate piece forming the gap  16  between the bottom flanges  8   b  and the top flanges  8   c  of the C-beams at both ends of the suspension beam  5 ,  8  and by fixing the C-beams face-to-face to each other. One such solution is described in more detail in  FIG. 5  and in the descriptive part of it. 
     Since the door panels  3 ,  4  are disposed centrally in the longitudinal center line of the suspension beams  5 ,  8 , i.e. in the center of the suspension beams  5 ,  8 , the mass of the door is centered with respect to the supporting of it. In this case there is no need to take the centering of the moving masses into account in the manufacturing of the doors. This facilitates both the manufacture and the installation of the doors. 
     On the top surface of the bottom flange  8   b  of the suspension beam  5 ,  8  is a travel surface  14  for the support rollers  5   a ,  8   a  of the door panels and on the bottom surface of the top flanges is a blocking surface  15  for preventing the support rollers  5   a,    8   a  from jumping out of their location, so that separate counterwheels, which prevent a door panel from turning from the center line from the horizontal force effect exerted on the bottom edge of the door panel from the trajectory of the door, are not needed. The C-beams forming a suspension beam  5 ,  8  are fixed to each other at their ends in some suitable manner to form a firm structure, e.g. with a bolt-nut fastening by means of the fixing holes  17 , or with some suitable band fastening, or with some other suitable fixing method, of which one example is presented in  FIG. 5 . 
     The travel surfaces  14  of the support rollers  5   a ,  8   a , said surfaces being in the suspension beam  5 ,  8 , are preferably coated with some suitable noise-damping material, such as with polyurethane, which damps the noise coming from a support roller  5   a ,  8   a  so much that the support rollers  5   a ,  8   a  can be just generally available and inexpensively priced bearings. One alternative is support rollers  5   a  and  8   a  that are essentially large in diameter, which the solution according to the invention enables. Rollers of large diameter can be coated with softer coatings. Soft coatings and a large diameter anyway enable advantages such as improved ride comfort through a quieter and steadier run as well as the longer service life of the support rollers. 
       FIG. 5  presents a simplified and diagrammatic oblique top view of one fixing solution of the C-beams forming a suspension beam  5 ,  8  belonging to the door arrangement according to the invention, at one end of the suspension beam  5 ,  8 . In  FIG. 5  the suspension beam  5 ,  8  is truncated in such a way that only one of the ends of the suspension beam  5 ,  8  is visible. 
     The two C-beams placed facing each other and forming the suspension beam  5 ,  8  are fixed to each other at their ends by means of an essentially slab-shaped fixing piece  18 , which because of its cross-sectional shape forces a gap  16  to be left between the bottom flanges  8   b  and the top flanges  8   c  of the C-beams, said gap being needed by the door panels  3 ,  4 , and which fixing piece  18  at the same time supports the fixing of the C-beams. The fixing piece  18  according to the embodiment has a first flange part, i.e. a flange part  19 , outside the suspension beam  5 ,  8 , and a second flange part, i.e. a flange part  20 , inside the suspension beam  5 ,  8 , and a center flange part  21  forming the gap  16  that is between the flange parts  19 ,  20 . The inside and outside flange part  19 ,  20  are wider in the cross-section of the fixing piece  18  than the center flange part  21  and all the flange parts  19 - 21  are situated symmetrically in the cross-section of the fixing piece  18  in relation to both the vertical axis and the horizontal axis of the cross-section. In addition, the thickness of the center flange part  21  is essentially at least as large as the thickness of the bottom flanges  8   b  and the top flanges  8   c  of the C-beams. In this case a groove for the bottom and top flanges  8   b ,  8   c  of the C-beams is formed in both side edges of a fixing piece  18 . The fixing pieces  18  are fixed to the bottom flanges and top flanges  8   b ,  8   c  of the C-beams e.g. by means of fixing means  22 , such as screws or bolts and nuts. 
     The fixing pieces  18  can also be different in their cross-section to what is presented above. For example, they can be missing either the outside flange part  19  or the inside flange part  20 , and the thickness of the center flange part  21  can in this case also be smaller or larger than the thickness of the bottom flanges  8   b  and the top flanges  8   c  of the C-beams. One embodiment in this case is a combined fixing piece  18 , which does not have inside flange parts  20  at all and in which the centre flange part  21  extends from the outside flange part  19  of the top flange  8   c  of the C-beam to the outside flange part  19  of the bottom flange  8   b  of the C-beam. One embodiment can also be such that the inside flange part  20  in the preceding solution replaces the outside flange part  19  and the center flange part  21  extends to above and to below the inside flange parts  20  as well as between them. Yet another embodiment can be such that only the aforementioned center flange part  21  is the fixing piece  18 , i.e. a straight slab, which extends from the bottom surface of the bottom flanges  8   b  of the C-beams to the top surface of the top flanges  8   c . In these examples presented above only one solid fixing piece  18  is at each end of a suspension beam  5 ,  8 . 
     A suspension beam  5  of the door panels  3  of the elevator car  1  is structurally an essentially shallow construction and essentially similar to, as well as essentially the same size at least in its cross-section as, the suspension beams  8  of the door panels  4  of the landing doors of the elevator. The inside height of the cross-sections of the suspension beams  5 ,  8  is greater only by essentially the amount of the clearance enabled by rotation of the support rollers  5   a ,  8   a  of the door panels  3 ,  4  than the diameter of the support rollers  5   a ,  8   a . In this case the support rollers  5   a ,  8   a  fit to rotate well on their travel surface  14 , but are not able to jump out of their location. The shallow construction of the suspension beams  5 ,  8  is also seen in that the outside height of the suspension beams  5 ,  8 , which in terms of their cross-section are rectangular tubes or corresponding structures, is greater only by the amount of the thickness of the bottom flanges  8   b  and the top flanges  8   c  of the suspension beams  5 ,  8  than the inside height of the cross-sections of the suspension beams  5 ,  8 . 
     The door arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that the door panels  3  of the elevator car  1  and the door panels  4  of the landing doors are essentially similar to each other. This, in turn, enables modular structures. Other characteristic features are also that the support rollers  5   a  of a door panel  3  of an elevator car  1  are disposed symmetrically with respect to the vertical line of the door panel  3  on both sides of the door panel  3  in such a way that the weight of the door panel  3  of the elevator car  1  is distributed essentially centrally onto the support rollers  5   a  that are on both sides of the door panel  3 . Correspondingly, the support rollers  8   a  of a door panel  4  of the landing doors are disposed symmetrically with respect to the vertical line of the door panel  4  on both sides of the door panel  4  in such a way that the weight of the door panel  4  of the landing door is distributed essentially centrally onto the support rollers  8   a  that are on both sides of the door panel  4 . 
     The door arrangement according to the invention is further characterized in that the door panels  3  of the elevator car  1  are arranged to extend from below their suspension beam  5  through their suspension beam  5  to above their suspension beam  5  and, correspondingly, the door panels  4  of the landing doors are arranged to extend from below their suspension beams  8  through their suspension beams  8  to above their suspension beams  8 . Likewise, the door arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that the door motor  6  of the elevator car  1  is connected to directly move the door panels  3  of the elevator car  1 , and that the door coupler structure  7  is fixed directly to a door panel  3  of the elevator car  1  above the suspension beam  5 . Correspondingly, the synchronization means  10  of a landing door of the elevator is connected directly to the door panels  4  of the landing door above the suspension beam  8  and the rollers  9  of the door coupler are fixed directly to one door panel  4  of the landing door above the suspension beam  8 . 
     Suspension beams  5 ,  8  that are similar to each other and thin door panels  3 ,  4  in the door of the elevator car  1  and in the landing doors enable a modular structural assembly, making diversified use of the same structural elements easier. The structure of the door panels  3 ,  4  can be e.g. a sandwich structure, wherein various stainless steels or galvanized sheet metal, or other metal sheets of corresponding thicknesses, such as copper sheets or brass sheets, are used as a surfacing. A filler material, e.g. polyurethane, fireproof wool or corresponding material that allows the use of glue for fixing the materials, is glued between two metal sheets. Lightweight filler material enables extremely lightweight doors and simultaneously, however, dampens noises from the door panels  3  and  4 , in which case the doors are extremely quiet. Additionally, the door panels  3 ,  4  can be surfaced with a separate material desired by the customer provided, however, that the thickness of a door panel  3 ,  4  remains within the permitted limits. 
     The different solutions and features presented above can be inventive features together with one or more other features of the invention. 
     It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited solely to the examples described above, but that it may be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. Thus, for example, the upper door operator structures of the suspension beams can be different to what is presented above. 
     It is also obvious to the person skilled in the art that, instead of the center-opening sliding door structure presented, the door arrangement according to the invention also comprises sliding doors of the telescopic type for elevators as well as swing doors for elevators. 
     It is further obvious to the person skilled in the art that the door arrangement can be implemented in such a way that the door panels extend from below upwards only up to the suspension beam, and do not extend through the suspension beams to above the suspension beams. In this case for the suspension beams there are separate support parts that are supported by a support roller and that function in the manner of support trolleys, on which support parts the door panels are suspended. 
     The support parts are fixed at their bottom edge to the top edges of the door panels either inside the suspension beams or immediately below the suspension beams. Each suspension part carries e.g. one door panel.