Patent ID: 12240734

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG.1is a schematic view of an example elevator system10. The sections and components of the elevator system10not necessary to the understanding of the present disclosure are not shown. The elevator system10includes an elevator car12and counterweight22movable in an hoistway14. The elevator car12is suspended in the hoistway14by means of one or more tension members16, for example a rope or a belt. The tension members16interact with one or more sheaves18which can be routed around various components of the elevator system10. One of the sheaves may be a traction sheave24actuated by a machine26to raise and lower the elevator car12in the hoistway14. The tension members16are also connected to the counterweight22, which is used to provide balance to the elevator system10and minimise the difference in tension between the tension members16on either side of the traction sheave24. Various roping arrangements will be known to those skilled in the art, including a 1:1 and 2:1 roping ratio.

To guide the movement of the elevator car12and the counterweight22in the hoistway14, elevator car guide rails28and counterweight guide rails32are secured in the hoistway14. The guide rails28,32may be mounted directly onto the hoistway14wall, or may be mounted indirectly to the hoistway14, for example via additional brackets (not shown). The guide rails28,32define a guide path for the movement of the elevator car12and counterweight22respectively. The elevator car12and counterweight22include one or more guiding elements, for example elevator guide shoes30and counterweight guide shoes34which move along a guide surface (not shown) on the guide rails28,32. Other components may also interact with the guide rails28,32, which are not here shown, for example safety brakes which are arranged to halt the movement of the elevator car12.

Whilst an example elevator system10has been described above, the skilled person will understand that this is by means of example only, and that the invention as disclosed herein may be suitable for various types of elevator systems.

It will be appreciated that, whilst a roped elevator with a counterweight is described herein, the examples of guide rails described herein will work equally well with a ropeless elevator system e.g. hydraulic, pinched wheel propulsion systems, systems with linear motors, or any other desired means of propelling an elevator car.

FIG.2shows an example elevator guide rail100′, made from a first rail piece part110′aand a second rail piece part110′bfixed together. The first rail piece part110′aand the second rail piece part110′bare collectively referred to as a pair of separate rail piece parts110′a,110′b. The guide rail100′ has an elongate length L, and a cross-section perpendicular to the elongate length L. In cross-section, the guide rail100′ has a base section120and a blade section130protruding from the base section120, and the blade section130has a guide surface132designed to interact with a guiding element (not shown) as described above with reference toFIG.1. Each of the pair of separate rail piece parts100′a,100′b, is made from a set thickness of sheet material which is cut so as to have the elongate length L, and then bent along a first fold line160a(as showed by the dotted line) into a three-dimensional shape with cross-section of a predetermined shape. For example, the first rail piece part110′ahas a first thickness t1and the second rail piece part has a second thickness t2. In this example, each of the pair of separate rail piece parts110′a,110′bhas an “L” shaped cross-section, such that each of the pair of separate rail piece parts110′a,110′bhas a base portion120′a,120′band a blade portion130′a,130′b. The pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110bare fixed together so the blade section130is formed from two layers of sheet material fixed together, giving the blade section130a cross-sectional width W1equaling the sum of the first thickness t1and the second thickness t2. The guide rail100′ therefore has a “T” shaped cross-section formed from the “L” shaped pair of separate rail piece parts110′a,110′bfixed together.

It will be appreciated by the skilled person that the elongate length L of the guide rail100′ can be made to any suitable length, and standard elevator guide rail lengths are usually made to 5 m or 10 m. It will also be appreciated that the exact shape of the base section120of the guide rail100′ can be adapted for different types of elevator system, whether the guide rails require attaching directly to a hoistway wall, or indirectly to a hoistway wall via a number of brackets, or attaching to another length of guide rail so multiple guide rails sit side by side in the elevator hoistway. The width W1of the cross-section at the guide surface132must correspond to the requirements of any guiding element (e.g. an elevator car guide shoe). The whole of the blade section130may have the guide surface132, or only part of the blade section130may have the guide surface132.

Whilst the labels “first” and “second” have been used to distinguish each of the pair of separate rail piece parts, it will be appreciated that these labels are arbitrary in nature, and are used only to aid with the understanding about the form of the pair of rail piece parts. In some of the examples described herein the first and second rail piece parts have different properties, however in some other examples, the pair of separate rail piece parts have different properties (i.e. predetermined shapes, thicknesses, etc.)

FIG.3A,FIG.3BandFIG.3Cshow another example of an elevator guide rail100. The guide rail100has the same main components as the embodiment described above with reference toFIG.2. In this example, the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110b(i.e. a first rail piece part110a, and a second rail piece part110b) are shown to have the same thickness t of sheet material, and are fixed together (as shown schematically by the dashed line140) in the blade section130as shown inFIG.3A, the double arrow indicating the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110bbeing brought together during a fixing process. Each of the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110bhas a base portion120a,120b, a blade portion130a,130b, and a guide surface portion132a,132b. In this example the ends of each of the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110bare bent back over themselves at the end of the blade section130(i.e. along a second fold line160b) to form the guide surface portion132a,132b, and therefore a wider section for the guide surface132. The cross-sectional width W2at the guide surface132(i.e. from one guide section portion132ato the other guide section portion132b) is therefore four times the thickness t of sheet material. A guide shoe30can then sit over the guide rail100at the guiding surface132as shown inFIG.3C.

FIG.4A,FIG.4B, andFIG.4Cshow a similar example guide rail100to that shown inFIGS.3A-3C, and show how the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110bcan be fixed together, and how the guide rail100may be fixed to the hoistway (not shown). The guide rail100is shown with holes115in the base section120which can be used to fix the guide rail100in an elevator hoistway as discussed above. In the blade section130fixing points140aare shown, and these fixing points140aare in the blade section130away from the guide surface132so as not to interfere with the guiding element of the component moving along the guide path (e.g. a guide shoe on an elevator car as discussed above). In this example the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110bare fixed together by clinching (i.e. press-joining) the two sheets of material together as shown inFIG.4BandFIG.4C. It will be appreciated that whilst this example shows the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110bfixed together by clinching, other methods of fixation are also suitable so long as the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110bare firmly fixed together in an appropriate manner. In some examples the guide rail is formed from welding the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110btogether. In some further examples, the guide rail100is formed by using holes in similar locations to the clinching through which the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110bcan be bolted or riveted together.

It will be appreciated that the holes115and/or fixing points140ashown inFIG.4Acan be applied to any of the example guide rails described herein, although for clarity, some of the FIGS. do not explicitly show them. Equally, various other fixation methods may be available to the skilled person which means holes and/or fixing points are not required in some applications of the examples herein, for example using spot welding.

In some elevator systems, components in the hoistway can interfere with the placement of the guide rails. An example of this can be seen in the schematic diagram of an elevator system10shown inFIG.5, which will be appreciated as not showing any of the components to scale, but merely showing a representation of the outlined problem. A movable component12(e.g. an elevator car) with guiding elements30(e.g. guide shoes) is shown relative to a combined guide rail2000. The combined guide rail2000comprises a section of guide rail1000of the present disclosure, along with a section of a standard guide rail28. In this example of an elevator system having a very compact layout, the machine26is located such that it interferes with the guide rail1000. In this example the base section120and lower part of the blade section130need to be removed (as shown by the dashed lines) to provide space for the machine26, whilst leaving a continuous guide surface132for the guiding element30of the elevator car12to move along a guide path. The interference issue between the machine26and the guide rail1000is only at the very top of the hoistway (not shown). It may then be possible to use a standard guide rail28for the lower section of the hoistway, and connect it to a section of the guide rail1000disclosed herein for the top section of the hoistway, which can be adapted to prevent interference as described below with reference toFIGS.6-8.

It will be appreciated that whilst in this example a machine26located at the top of an hoistway is interfering with the guide rail1000, other elevator system components in other locations in the hoistway may also have interference problems with the guide rail in a hoistway. In these examples a section of adapted guide rail1000may be used, or the whole of the guide rail in the hoistway may be a guide rail as disclosed herein.

FIG.6shows the guide rail1000with all the features of the previously described guide rail100described with reference toFIGS.3-4, with a pair of separate rail piece parts1010a,1010b. In the guide rail1000, the pair of separate rail piece parts1010a,1010badditionally have a cut-out portion150to prevent interference with an elevator component as described above with reference toFIG.5. The dashed lines indicated inFIG.5represent the area of interference is prevented by utilizing a cut-out portion150. The cut-out portion150is for the part of the elongate length L which would otherwise have interfered with a component in the hoistway, and in this example removes the base section120and lower part of the blade section130for that part of the elongate length L, leaving a continuous guide surface132. Whist this example is shown removing identical (symmetric) sections from both of the pair of separate rail piece parts1010a,1010bit may only be necessary to remove some of one of the pair of separate rail piece parts1010a,1010b. In some examples the interference may only require a cut-out portion for part of the base section120, and/or the blade section130.

FIG.7andFIG.8show a further example of a guide rail1000′ with cut-out portion150from two different perspectives. The cut-out portion150is the same as the cut-out portion150shown inFIG.6, however in this example one of the pair of separate rail piece parts, the second rail piece part1010b′, has an extended base portion125baround the cut-out portion150, connecting the base section120from either side of the cut-out portion150in the elongate length L. It will therefore be appreciated that in this example, the first rail piece part1010ahas a first predetermined shape, and the second rail piece part1010b′ has a second predetermined shape. The extended base portion125bmay be only on one of the pair of separate rail piece parts e.g. the second rail piece part1010b′ as shown inFIG.7andFIG.8, however in some other examples (not shown) both of the pair of separate rail piece parts may have extended base portions (and the pair of separate rail piece parts may have the same, but mirrored, predetermined shapes).

It will be appreciated that whilstFIG.6-FIG.8are shown with the folded back guide surface portions132in the blade section130so the guide surface132has a width W2equaling four times the thickness of the sheet material, the cut-out portion150may be equally applied to any other configuration described herein (e.g. the example ofFIG.2), so long as the guide surface132remains continuous to form a continuous guide path (e.g. for a guiding element to move along).

Other cross-sectional profiles for a guide rail may also be suitable as shown inFIG.9A-FIG.9D. It will be appreciated that the cross-sections shown in these figures will have an elongate length in the same way as previously described with reference toFIG.2-FIG.8. Any of these profiles may also be suitable for including a cut-out portion, and/or may include an extended base portion on one or both sides, as described with reference toFIG.6-FIG.8. The various parts are fixed together at least where indicated by the dashed lines140, where the double arrows represent any parts being brought together during a fixing step during manufacture as described below.

FIG.9Ashows a guide rail1001cross section with additional pieces of sheet material112a,112b,122added to the basic structure of a pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110b. In this example the guide rail1001has a pair of “L” shaped stabilisers112a,112bfixed to the outer surface of the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110b, in the blade section130and the base section120, and sitting below the bent over guide surface portions132a,132bon the blade section130. In this example the guide rail1001also has a base reinforcer122made from an additional flat piece of a sheet material fixed to both of the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110b, and spanning the base section120across the bottom of the blade section130.

FIG.9Bshows a guide rail1002cross section with pair of separate rail piece parts1100a,1100bfixed together as shown by the dashed line140. The cross-sectional shape of each of the pair of separate rail piece parts1100a,1100bhas an upturning portion122a,122bas the end of each of the base portions, such that the base section120of the guide rail1002turns upwards at its outer edges. This can improve rigidity of the base section120.

FIG.9Cshows a guide rail1003cross section with additional pieces of sheet material added to the basic structure of a pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110b. In this example the guide rail1003has a blade reinforcer135, and a base reinforcer122(as also shown inFIG.9A). The various parts are fixed together at least where indicated by the dashed lines140. The blade reinforcer135is an additional flat piece of sheet material fixed between the blade portions of the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110b. In this example the blade reinforcer135extends for the whole of the height of the blade section130, however it will be appreciated that it may only extend for part of the height of the blade section130(e.g. just between the guide surface132at the top of the blade section130). The base reinforcer122spans both base portions of the pair of separate rail piece parts110a,110b. The base reinforcer122may extend for the whole of the base section120or may only extend across part of the base section120.

FIG.9Dshows a guide rail1004with an alternative cross section at the guide surface (i.e. the end of the blade section130) so that the guide surface has an increased width W3of six times the thickness t of the sheet material. Whilst inFIG.3-FIG.9Cthe guide surface portions132a,132bare made by folding the sheet material back over itself once, in this example the sheet material is folded again so in the guide surface portions132a′,132b′ each of the pair of separate rail piece parts111a,111bfolds back over itself twice. The pair of separate rail piece parts111a,111bare then fixed together as described above and as indicated by the dashed line140.

It will be appreciated that whilst each example above has been described separately, any of the various configurations may be combined, or selectively introduced. For example, only one additional piece of sheet material may be used (e.g. one of the pair of stabilisers, or only a base reinforcer, or only a blade reinforcer), or any combination of the examples (e.g. a single stabiliser and a blade reinforcer, or a bent base with a base reinforcer, etc.).

FIG.10is a flowchart outlining a method200for manufacturing an elevator guide rail as described in some of the examples described herein. It will be appreciated by the following description, that this example method is most suited for the example where the first rail piece part and the second rail piece part are formed from the same thickness of a single type of sheet material. In step210a sheet material is bent lengthways (i.e. along a fold line) so as to create a folded part with cross-section of a predetermined shape, for example by bending into any of the shapes as outlined above, i.e. by bending each of the pair of separate rail piece parts between the base portion and the blade portion, and to form the guide surface portion. Bending may be performed using any method as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, for example bending the sheet material in a press brake, or using roll-forming methods. Bending may be performed on a predetermined width of material suitable for folding into the predetermined shape. Bending may be performed on a length of sheet material of various lengths. In some examples the length of sheet material used is a multiple of the elongate length, so multiple individual separate rail piece parts are bent into shape at the same time.

In step220the pair of separate rail piece parts is cut from the folded part to give the elongate length. The cutting may include punching holes for the fixation of the guide rail to a hoistway, and/or for fixing the pair of separate rail piece parts together. The cutting step may include cutting out a section from the length to allow for the cut-out portion as outlined above. Cutting of the sheet material into the elongate length may be performed separately to the cutting of holes and/or the cut-out portion. The cutting of the holes and/or the cut-out portion may be performed prior to the above bending step. Cutting may be performed using any suitable method as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, for example laser cutting or punching the flat forms.

In step230the pair of separate rail piece parts are fixed together. The pair of separate rail piece parts are fixed together at least in the blade section so as not to interfere with the guide surface. The pair of separate rail piece parts are fixed together so that their predetermined shapes together form the blade section and the base section, and so that the blade section has the required cross-sectional width at a guide surface. In the fixing step, additional pieces of sheet material may also be fixed to the pair of separate rail piece parts, for example a blade reinforcer, a base reinforcer, or one or more stabilisers. The pieces of sheet material may be fixed together using any suitable fixing method as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The pair of separate rail piece parts may be mechanically joined together, for example by bolting, riveting or clinching the pieces of sheet material together. In some examples, adhesive may be used. In some examples, welding may be used.

It will be appreciated that the method steps herein described may be performed in various orders, depending on the mass production methods used, and the similarity or dissimilarity of the pair of separate rail piece parts. For example, the sheet material may first be cut to required lengths, and then be bent into shape. In some examples, the bending and the cutting may be performed using a single piece of equipment. In some examples the pair of separate rail piece parts may be bent into shape, then joined together, with cutting being the final production step.

It will be appreciated that any suitable sheet material may be used for any of the guide rail parts as disclosed above. It is advantageous for all pieces used for the same guide rail to be made from the same type of sheet material to prevent any corrosion due to material chemistry mismatch or any one part causing any other type of damage on another part. Guide rails are usually made from steel due to the advantageous properties of steel. The guide rail of the present disclosure may be made from sheet metal e.g. galvanized steel. Whilst current safety norms for elevator systems may require a particular material, it is appreciated that the present disclosure would be suitable for other types of sheet material not herein disclosed, which produce parts with suitable properties (e.g. strength, toughness, wear resistance) for making an elevator guide rail.

It will be appreciated that a guide rail cross-section may be implemented with fully symmetrical pairs of separate rail piece parts, or the pairs of separate rail piece parts may not be symmetrical, as long as they are fixed together so as to provide a continuous guide surface as a guide path (e.g. for a guiding element on a movable component in the hoistway). Similarly, although the examples shown here show a guide rail with a single blade section, the combination of folded sheet material parts fixed together in the blade section may also be used to form guide rails with multiple blade sections, which allow for two or more parallel guide paths in an hoistway.

As described above, it may be suitable to use a guide rail like that described with reference toFIGS.6-8in combination with another type of standard guide rail as will be known to those skilled in the art (e.g. a standard solid “T” shaped guide rail). In such examples it may be desirable to match at least the cross-section width at the guide surface132between the standard guide rail and a guide rail as disclosed herein, so as to have a continuous guide path for the guiding element of the movable component. It will be appreciated that the cross-section width is dependent on the combination of the sheet material thickness of the pair of separate rail piece parts. It may be possible to match additional dimensional features of a standard guide rail, however as long as there is a continuous guide path provided by continuity in the guide surface between the two types of guide rail the other dimensions of the guide rail can be dependent on the space in the hoistway in which the guide rail is mounted. In some examples the two types of guide rail may have a small gap as long as the smooth movement of the guiding element is not affected (e.g. 1 mm). In some examples the two types of guide rail are mounted separately to the hoistway. In some examples the two types of guide rail are connected together (e.g. using a fishplate bracket).

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the disclosure has been illustrated by describing one or more specific aspects thereof, but is not limited to these aspects; many variations and modifications are possible, within the scope of the accompanying claims.