Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
         [0001]    This application claims benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. JP10-257182 filed Sep. 10, 1998, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an elevator with a driving unit having a traction sheave, which drives cables hanging a passenger cage, and more particularly to an elevator driving unit mounted on the upper portion of a guide rail for guiding the passenger cage or a counter weight balancing the cage.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND  
         [0003]    In recent years, elevators have been developed without a machine room (penthouse) disposed right above an elevator shaft of a building in order to economize the inside space of the building.  
           [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 shows such an elevator as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2593288. In this elevator, a driving unit  106  has cables  103  placed around a traction sheave  107  and is disposed at an upper portion of an elevator shaft. As shown in FIG. 1, the elevator includes a passenger cage  101  having a door  112 , counter weight  102  balancing the cage  101 , cables  103  hanging the cage  101  and the counter weight  102 , car sheaves  104 , a controller  108 , a counter weight sheave  109 , the driving unit  106 , a pair of cage guide rails  110 , and a pair of counter weight guide rails  111 . The driving unit  106  is supported by fixed members  113  and  114  such as a steel frame of the building or the like.  
           [0005]    To make this type of elevator as shown in FIG. 1 practicable, there are various problems. One of the problems is how to keep the strength of rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2( a ) for installing the cage guide rails  110  to the shaft wall.  
           [0006]    [0006]FIG. 2( a ) is a side view of one of the cage guide rails  110  of FIG. 1. FIG. 2( b ) is a plan view of FIG. 2( a ).  
           [0007]    Each of the rail support members  30  is composed of a U-shaped bracket  1  and an L-shaped plate  2 D.  
           [0008]    The pair of cage guide rails  110  is installed in an elevator shaft  6  and respectively composed of a plurality of guide rails  5 . The guide rails  5  are connected with each other in a straight line by connecting plates  7 .  
           [0009]    The closed ends of the brackets  1  are secured at designated positions to the guide rails  5 . The plates  2 D have vertically extending portions secured on a shaft wall  4  at intervals in the vertical direction, each by a pair of anchor bolts  3 . Horizontally extending portions of the plates  2 D are welded to the open ends of the brackets  1 .  
           [0010]    In a conventional elevator, in which a machine room (penthouse) is located above the shaft  6 , since the driving unit having a traction sheave is installed on the machine room, the load of the driving unit itself, the load of the cage  101  including passengers, and the load of the counter weight  102  weigh substantially on the floor of the machine room. Thus, such heavy load does not weigh on the cage guide rails  110 .  
           [0011]    However, in case the driving unit is mounted on the cage guide rails  110  in order to dispense with the machine room, the heavy load as described above weighs on the cage guide rails  110 , so that a big bending moment is applied to basal portions of the plates  2 D. Further, since two anchor bolts  3  are arranged horizontally in a single line, the bending moment directly applies to the bolts  3  as a tensile force.  
           [0012]    Moreover, since the driving unit is mounted on the cage guide rails  110 , vibration of the driving unit is transferred to the shaft wall  4  via the cage guide rails  110 , and may cause vibration and noise in resident rooms or somewhere in the building.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a novel elevator with a driving unit mounted on a guide rail which can securely support the driving unit.  
           [0014]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel elevator with a driving unit mounted on the guide rail, which can prevent vibration and noise caused by the driving unit from being transferred to the shaft wall.  
           [0015]    These and other objects are achieved according to the present invention by providing a new and improved elevator including a movable unit configured to ascend and descend in an elevator shaft, a guide rail installed on the elevator shaft via a plurality of rail support members and configured to guide the movable unit, a cable configured to hang the movable unit, a driving unit mounted on the guide rail and configured to move the movable unit up and down by driving the cable, and at least two securing members fixing one of the rail support members to a wall of the shaft and disposed separated from each other with an interval in the vertical direction. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a conventional traction type elevator;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of FIG. 1;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2( b ) is a plan view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 2( a );  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 3( a );  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 4( a );  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a third embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 5( a );  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fourth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 6( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 6( a );  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7 is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fifth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 8( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a sixth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 8( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 8( a );  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 9( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a seventh embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 9( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 9( a );  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 10( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of an eighth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 10( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 10( a );  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 11( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a ninth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 11( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 11( a );  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 12( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a tenth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 12( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 12( a );  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 13( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of an eleventh embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 13( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 13( a );  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 13( c ) is a view of a damper member in the direction of the arrows A of FIG. 13( a );  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 14( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twelfth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 14( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 14( a );  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 15( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 15( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 15( a );  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 16( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 16( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 16( a );  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 17( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 17( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 17( a );  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 18( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 18( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 18( a );  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 18( c ) is a view of a damper member in the direction of the arrows A of FIG. 18( a );  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 19( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a seventeenth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 19( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 19( a );  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 20( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of an eighteenth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 20( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 20( a );  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 21( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a nineteenth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 21( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 21( a );  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 22( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twentieth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 22( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 22( a );  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 23( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twenty-first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 23( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 23( a );  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 23( c ) is a view of a damper member in the direction of the arrows A of FIG. 23( a );  
         [0064]    [0064]FIG. 24( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twenty-second embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 24( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail of FIG. 24( a ). 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0066]    Referring now to the drawings, where like reference numerals designate the same or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there will be described a first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS.  3 ( a ) and  3 ( b ).  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 3( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 3( a ).  
         [0068]    In this embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0069]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 3( a )) composed of plural rails  5  is installed on a shaft wall  4 . One of the cage guide rails  110 , on which the driving unit  8  mounted, is secured on the shaft wall  4  with rail support members  31  composed of brackets  1  having a U-shaped cross section and fastening plates  2  having a L-shaped cross section. The other cage guide rail  110  is secured on the shaft wall  4  by the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. Further, a pair of counter weight guide rails  111  (not shown in FIG. 3( a )) is installed on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. The cage  101  and the counterweight  102  are respectively guided by the cage guide rails  110  and the counter weight guide rails  111 , and hung by cables  103  as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0070]    A support base  10  having an L-shaped cross section and a bracket  9  is provided at one of the cage guide rails  110 , and a driving unit  8 , which includes a traction sheave(not shown) for driving cables  103  and moving the cage  101  up and down, is secured by the support base  10  and the bracket  9 .  
         [0071]    At least one of the fastening plates  2  is secured on the shaft wall  4  by two pairs of anchor bolts  3 A and  3 B separated by an interval in the horizontal direction. The anchor bolts  3 A and  3 B of each pair are separated by an interval in the vertical direction.  
         [0072]    Closed ends of the brackets  1  are secured to the cage guide rail  110  with rail clips (not shown), and the opposite open ends thereof are respectively welded to the fastening plates  2 .  
         [0073]    Accordingly, in case that the sum load of the driving unit  8 , the cage  101  including passengers, and the counter weight  102  weigh on the cage guide rail  110  vertically, the load is shared and supported by the respective rail support members  31 .  
         [0074]    As for one of the rail support members  31 , h is a distance between the cage guide rail  110  and the shaft wall  4 , W is a load applied to the junction of the cage guide rail  110  and the bracket  1 , and M 1  is a bending moment working at the junction of the fastening plate  2  and the shaft wall  4 .  
         [0075]    M 1  is changeable according to a connecting structure of the junction of the cage guide rail  110  and the bracket  1 . If the connecting structure is a pivot connection, that is, a vertical displacement of the cage guide rail  110  is restricted, but a pivot movement on the junction of the cage guide rail  110  and the bracket  1  is not restricted, M 1  will be calculated as follows. 
         M 1 =Wh  (1) 
         [0076]    If the connecting structure is a rigid connection, that is, both the vertical displacement of the cage guide rail  110  and the pivot movement are restricted, M 1  will be calculated as follows. 
         M 1 =Wh/ 2   (2) 
         [0077]    On the other side, since the anchor bolts  3 A and  3 B are disposed each other with an interval in the vertical direction, the anchor bolts  3 A function as a fulcrum and the anchor bolts  3 B can receive the bending moment M 1 . Thus, in case that L is a distance of the interval of the anchor bolts  3 A and  3 B, n is the number of the anchor bolts per line, and F is a tensile force applied to the anchor bolts  3 B, a bending moment M 2  applied to the anchor bolts  3 B are represented by equation (3): 
         M 2 =LFn  (3) 
         [0078]    Further, assuming that f is a maximum permissible tensile strength of the anchor bolts  3 B, and M 1  equals M 2 , the minimum length of L is calculated by substituting f for F of equation (3), and represented by equations (4) and (5):  
         [0079]    (In case of the pivot connection) 
         [0080]    ti  L   min =( Wh )/( fn )  (4) 
         [0081]    (In case of the rigid connection) 
           L   min =( Wh )/(2 fn )  (5) 
         [0082]    L min  shown in equations (4) and (5) are the minimum lengths of the interval between anchor bolts  3 A and  3 B as described above for pivot connections and rigid connections, respectively. Accordingly, as long as an interval L of the anchor bolts  3 A and  3 B is longer than the length L min , the strength of the rail support members  31  is surely kept safe. On the other hand, if an interval L of the anchor bolts  3 A and  3 B greatly exceeds the length L min , the fastening plates  2  become impractically large.  
         [0083]    In the above description, although the minimum length L min  is calculated in case of both the pivot connection and the rigid connection, practically a connecting structure of the junction of the cage guide rail  110  and the bracket  1  is considered as a compromise between the pivot connection and the rigid connection. Thus, a proper design of the length L can be achieved by setting the length L min  calculated by equation (4) as an upper limit, and setting the length L min  calculated by equation (5) as an lower limit. That is, the length L can be designed by using the following equation (6). 
         ( Wh )/(2 fn )≦ L ≦( Wh )/( fn )  (6) 
         [0084]    [0084]FIG. 4( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 4( a ).  
         [0085]    Since the second embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the first embodiment of the present invention, in the following description, only components different from the components explained in the first embodiment are described.  
         [0086]    In the second embodiment, the support members  31  are used to support only the rail  5  on which the driving unit  8  is mounted. That is, the fastening plates  2  located adjacent to upper and lower sides of the driving unit  8  are secured on the shaft wall  4  with the two pairs of anchor bolts  3 A and  3 B in the same way as the first embodiment. The other rails  5  are secured with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0087]    According to the second embodiment, since only the rail  5  mounting the driving unit  8  is secured with the rail support members  31 , the driving unit  8  can be surely supported with minimum structure.  
         [0088]    [0088]FIG. 5( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 5( a ).  
         [0089]    In the third embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted on one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0090]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 5( a )) composed of plural rails  5  is installed on a shaft wall  4 . One of the cage guide rails  110 , on which the driving unit  8  is mounted, is secured on the shaft wall  4  with rail support members  32  composed of brackets  1  having a U-shaped cross section, fastening plates  2 A having an L-shaped cross section, and pins  11 . The other cage guide rail  110  is secured on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. Further, a pair of counter weight guide rails  111  (not shown in FIG. 5( a )) is installed on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. The cage  101  and the counterweight  102  are respectively guided by the cage guide rails  110  and the counter weight guide rails  111 , and hanged by cables  103  as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0091]    A support base  10  having an L-shaped cross section and a bracket  9  is provided at one of the cage guide rails  11   0 , and a driving unit  8 , which includes a traction sheave (not shown) for driving cables  103  and moving the cage  101  up and down, is secured with the support base  10  and the bracket  9 .  
         [0092]    Each of the rail support members  32  is composed of a bracket  1 , a fastening plate  2 A and a pin  11 . The closed end of the bracket  1  is secured to the cage guide rail  110 , and its opposite open ends are pivotably connected to the fastening plate  2 A with a pin  11 . The fastening plate  2 A is fixed on the shaft wall  4  with two anchor bolts  3  disposed each other with an interval in the horizontal direction.  
         [0093]    According to the third embodiment, since the open ends of the brackets  1  are pivotably connected to the fastening plates  2 A, a bending moment working at a junction of the fastening plate  2 A and the shaft wall  4 , which is caused by a downward force applied to the cage guide rail  110 , can be reduced.  
         [0094]    [0094]FIG. 6( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 6( a ).  
         [0095]    Since the fourth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the third embodiment of the present invention, in the following description, only components different from the components explained in the third embodiment are described.  
         [0096]    In the fourth embodiment, the support members  32  are arranged to support only the rail  5  mounting the driving unit  8 . That is, the fastening plates  2 A located adjacent to upper and lower sides of the driving unit  8  are secured on the shaft wall  4  in the same way as in the third embodiment. The other rails  5  are secured with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0097]    According to the fourth embodiment, since only one of the rails  5  mounting the driving unit  8  is secured with the rail support members  32 , the driving unit  8  can be surely supported with minimum structure.  
         [0098]    [0098]FIG. 7 is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0099]    In the fifth embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted on one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0100]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 7) composed of some rails  5  is installed on a shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30 . As shown in FIG. 7, an upper end of one of the cage guide rails  110  mounting the driving unit  8  is secured on a beam  12  fixed on the elevator shaft  6 . Further, a pair of counter weight guide rails  111  (not shown in FIG. 7) is installed on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  in the same way. The cage  101  and the counterweight  102  are respectively guided by the cage guide rails  110  and the counter weight guide rails  111 , and hanged by cables  103  as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0101]    A support base  10  having an L-shaped cross section and a bracket  9  is provided at one of the cage guide rails  110 , and a driving unit  8 , which includes a traction sheave(not shown) for driving cables  103  and moving the cage  101  up and down, is secured with the support base  10  and the bracket  9 .  
         [0102]    According to the fifth embodiment, since one end of the cage guide rail  110 , on which the driving unit  8  is mounted, is secured on the beam  12 , a bending moment working at a junction of the fastening plate  2 D and the shaft wall  4 , which is caused by a downward force applying to the cage guide rail  110 , can be reduced.  
         [0103]    [0103]FIG. 8( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 8( a ).  
         [0104]    In the sixth embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted on one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0105]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 8( a )) composed of plural rails  5  is installed on a shaft wall  4 . One of the cage guide rails  110 , on which the driving unit  8  is mounted, is secured on the shaft wall  4  with rail support members  33  composed of brackets  1  having a U-shaped cross section, clips  13 , and fastening plates  2 D having an L-shaped cross section, and stands on the bottom  24  of the shaft  6 . The other cage guide rail  110  is secured on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. Further, a pair of counter weight guide rails  111  (not shown in FIG. 8( a )) is installed on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. The cage  101  and the counterweight  102  are respectively guided by the cage guide rails  110  and the counter weight guide rails  111 , and hanged by cables  103  as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0106]    A support base  10  having an L-shaped cross section and a bracket  9  is provided at one of the cage guide rails  110 , and a driving unit  8 , which includes a traction sheave (not shown) for driving cables  103  and moving the cage  101  up and down, is secured with the support base  10  and the bracket  9 .  
         [0107]    Each of the rail support members  33  is composed of a bracket  1 , two clips  13  and a fastening plate  2 D. The closed end of the bracket  1  is slidably secured to the cage guide rail  110  with the clips  13 , and the opposite open ends thereof are connected to the fastening plate  2 D. The fastening plate  2 D is fixed on the shaft wall  4  with two anchor bolts  3  disposed horizontally apart from each other separated by an interval.  
         [0108]    According to the sixth embodiment, since the closed ends of the brackets  1  are slidably connected to the cage guide rail  110 , and the cage guide rail  110  stands on the bottom floor  24  of the shaft  6 , a bending moment working at a junction of the fastening plate  2 D and the shaft wall  4 , which is caused by a downward force applying to the cage guide rail  110 , can be reduced.  
         [0109]    [0109]FIG. 9( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 9( a ).  
         [0110]    In the seventh embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0111]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 9( a )) composed of plural rails  5  is installed on a shaft wall  4 . One of the cage guide rails  110 , on which the driving unit  8  is mounted, is secured on the shaft wall  4  with rail support members  34  composed of brackets  1  having a U-shaped cross section, rubber sheets  14 , and fastening plates  2 D having an L-shaped cross section, and stands on the bottom floor  24  of the shaft  6 . The other cage guide rail  110  is secured on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. Further, a pair of counter weight guide rails  111  (not shown in FIG. 9( a )) is installed on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. The cage  101  and the counterweight  102  are respectively guided by the cage guide rails  110  and the counter weight guide rails  111 , and hanged by cables  103  as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0112]    A support base  10  having an L-shaped cross section and a bracket  9  is provided at one of the cage guide rails  110 , and a driving unit  8 , which includes a traction sheave(not shown) for driving cables  103  and moving the cage  101  up and down, is secured with the support base  10  and the bracket  9 .  
         [0113]    Each of the rail support members  34  is composed of a bracket  1 , two rubber sheets  14  and a fastening plate  2 D. The closed end of the bracket  1  is secured to the cage guide rail  110  with rail clips (not shown), and opposite open ends thereof are connected to the fastening plate  2 D via the rubber sheets  14  with bolts (not shown) or the like. The fastening plate  2 D is fixed on the shaft wall  4  with two anchor bolts  3  horizontally separated from each other by an interval.  
         [0114]    According to the seventh embodiment, since the open ends of the brackets  1  are connected to the fastening plates via the rubber sheets  14 , and the cage guide rail  110  stands on the bottom  24  of the shaft  6 , a bending moment working at a junction of the fastening plate  2 D and the shaft wall  4 , which is caused by a downward force applying to the cage guide rail  110 , can be reduced.  
         [0115]    [0115]FIG. 10( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of an eighth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 10( a ).  
         [0116]    In the eighth embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted on one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0117]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 10( a )) composed of plural rails  5  is installed on a shaft wall  4  with rail support members  30  composed of brackets  1  having a U-shaped cross section, and fastening plates  2 D having an L-shaped cross section. The rails  5 , which compose one of the cage guide rails  110  mounting on the driving unit  8 , are connected together with connecting plates  7 A made of highly damped steel such as ‘VIBLESS’ which is a brand name owned by NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION. A twin crystal alloy such as Mn—Cu alloy or Al—Zn alloy, which have relatively big internal friction, can be used as the highly damped steel. Further, composite materials such as fiber reinforced plastics can be substituted for the highly damped steel.  
         [0118]    According to the eighth embodiment, the rails  5  mounting the driving unit  8  are connected together with connecting plates  7 A made of highly damped steel, thereby preventing vibration, which is caused by the driving unit  8 , from transferring to the shaft wall  4 . Accordingly, uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly generated in the building.  
         [0119]    [0119]FIG. 11( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a ninth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 11( a ).  
         [0120]    Since the ninth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the eighth embodiment of the present invention, in the following description, only components different from the components explained in the eighth embodiment are described.  
         [0121]    In the ninth embodiment, the connecting plate  7 A, which is described in the eighth embodiment, is arranged to connect only the rail  5  mounting the driving unit  8  to take adjacent rail  5 . That is, the connecting plate  7 A located just below the driving unit  8  connects the rail  5  mounting the driving unit  8  and the next rail  5  together. The other rails  5  are connected with the connecting plates  7  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0122]    According to the ninth embodiment, only one of the rails  5  mounting the driving unit  8  is connected with the next rail  5  by the connecting plate  7 A made of highly damped steel, thereby preventing with minimum structure vibration, which is caused by the driving unit  8 , from being transferred to the shaft wall  4 .  
         [0123]    [0123]FIG. 12( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a tenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 12( a ).  
         [0124]    In the tenth embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted on one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0125]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 12( a )) is installed on a shaft wall  4  with rail support members  30  composed of brackets  1  and fastening plates  2 D. The cage guide rail  110  mounting the driving unit  8  is composed of rails  5 A made of highly damped steel such as ‘VIBLESS’ which is a brand name owned by NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION.  
         [0126]    According to the tenth embodiment, the cage guide rail  110  mounting the driving unit  8  is composed of the rails  5 A made of highly damped steel, thereby preventing vibration, which is caused by the driving unit  8 , from transferring to the shaft wall  4 . Accordingly, uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly generated in the building.  
         [0127]    [0127]FIG. 13( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 13( a ). FIG. 13( c ) is a view of a damper member in the direction of the arrows A in FIG. 13( a ).  
         [0128]    In the eleventh embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted on one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0129]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 13( a )) is installed on a shaft wall  4  with rail support members  30  composed of brackets  1  and fastening plates  2 D. A damper member  15  is provided on the cage guide rail  110  mounting the driving unit  8 , and attached adjacent to the driving unit  8 . The damper unit  15 , composed of a bar  15 ( a ) and two weights  15 ( b ) mounted on opposite ends of the bar  15 ( a ), absorbs a predetermined frequency of vibration. The weight of the weights  15 ( b ) and the length of the bar  15 ( a ) are determined in accordance with a frequency of the vibration of the cage guide rail  110 .  
         [0130]    According to the eleventh embodiment, the damper member  15  is provided on the cage guide rail  110  mounting the driving unit  8 , thereby preventing vibration, which is caused by the driving unit  8 , from transferring to the shaft wall  4 . Accordingly, uncomfortable noise and vibration are damped and hardly generated in the building.  
         [0131]    [0131]FIG. 14( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twelfth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 14( a ).  
         [0132]    In the twelfth embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted on one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0133]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 14( a )) composed of plural rails  5  is installed on a shaft wall  4 . One of the cage guide rails  110 , which mounts the driving unit  8 , is secured on the shaft wall  4  with rail support members  35  composed of brackets  1  having a U-shaped cross section, rubber sheets  16 , and fastening plates  2 D having an L-shaped cross section. The other cage guide rail  110  is secured on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. Further, a pair of counter weight guide rails  111  (not shown in FIG. 14( a )) is installed on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. The cage  101  and the counterweight  102  are respectively guided by the cage guide rails  110  and the counter weight guide rails  111 , and hanged by cables  103  as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0134]    A support base  10  having an L-shaped cross section and a bracket  9  is provided at one of the cage guide rails  110 , and a driving unit  8 , which includes a traction sheave (not shown) for driving cables  103  and moving the cage  101  up and down, is secured with the support base  10  and the bracket  9 .  
         [0135]    Each of the rail support members  35  is composed of a bracket  1 , a pair of rubber sheets  16  and a fastening plate  2 D. The closed end of the bracket  1  is secured to the cage guide rail  110 , with rail clips (not shown), and the open ends thereof are connected to the fastening plate  2 D via the rubber sheets  16  with bolts (not shown) or the like. The fastening plate  2 D is fixed on the shaft wall  4  with two anchor bolts  3  disposed each other with an interval in the horizontal direction.  
         [0136]    According to the twelfth embodiment, the open ends of the brackets  1  are connected to the fastening plates  2 D via the rubber sheets  16 , thereby preventing vibration, which is caused by the driving unit  8 , from transferring to the shaft wall  4 . Accordingly, uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly generated in the building.  
         [0137]    [0137]FIG. 15( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 15( a ).  
         [0138]    Since the thirteenth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the twelfth embodiment of the present invention, in the following description, only components different from the components explained in the twelfth embodiment are described.  
         [0139]    In the thirteenth embodiment, the support members  35  are connected only to the rail  5  mounting the driving unit  8 . That is, the rubber sheets  16  are provided on the fastening plates  2 D located adjacent to upper and lower sides of the driving unit  8  in the same way as in the twelfth embodiment. The other rails  5  are secured with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0140]    According to the thirteenth embodiment, only one of the rails  5  mounting the driving unit  8  is secured with the rail support members  35 , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit  8  from transferring to the shaft wall  4 .  
         [0141]    [0141]FIG. 16( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 16( a ).  
         [0142]    In the fourteenth embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted on one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0143]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 16( a )) composed of plural rails  5  is installed on a shaft wall  4 . One of the cage guide rails  110 , which mounts the driving unit  8 , is secured on the shaft wall  4  with rail support members  36  composed of brackets  1  having a U-shaped cross section, damping sheets  17  made of highly damped steel, and fastening plates  2 D having an L-shaped cross section. The other cage guide rail  110  is secured on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. Further, a pair of counter weight guide rails  111  (not shown in FIG. 16( a )) is installed on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. The cage  101  and the counterweight  102  are respectively guided by the cage guide rails  110  and the counter weight guide rails  111 , and hanged by cables  103  as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0144]    Each of the rail support members  36  is composed of a bracket  1 , two damping sheets  17  and a fastening plate  2 D. The closed end of the bracket  1  is secured to the cage guide rail  110  with rail clips (not shown), and the open ends thereof are connected to the fastening plate  2 D via the damping sheets  17  with bolts (not shown) or the like. The fastening plate  2 D is fixed on the shaft wall  4  with two anchor bolts  3  horizontally separated from each other by an interval.  
         [0145]    According to the fourteenth embodiment, the open ends of the brackets  1  are connected to the fastening plates  2 D via the damping sheets  17 , thereby preventing vibration, which is caused by the driving unit  8 , from transferring to the shaft wall  4 . Accordingly, uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly transferred to the building.  
         [0146]    [0146]FIG. 17( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 17( a ).  
         [0147]    In the fifteenth embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0148]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 17( a )) composed of plural rails  5  is installed on a shaft wall  4 . One of the cage guide rails  110 , which mounts the driving unit  8 , is secured on the shaft wall  4  with rail support members  37  composed of brackets  1 A made of highly damped steel and fastening plates  2 D. The other cage guide rail  110  is secured on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. Further, a pair of counter weight guide rails  111  (not shown in FIG. 16( a )) is installed on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. The cage  101  and the counterweight  102  are respectively guided by the cage guide rails  110  and the counter weight guide rails  111 , and hanged by cables  103  as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0149]    According to the fifteenth embodiment, the brackets  1 A are made of highly damped steel, thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit  8  from transferring to the shaft wall  4 . Accordingly, uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly generated in the building. The fastening plates  2 D can be made of highly damped steel. In this case, the brackets  1 A can be substituted for the brackets  1  made of ordinary steel.  
         [0150]    [0150]FIG. 18( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 18( a ). FIG. 18( c ) is a view of a damper unit in the direction of the arrows A in FIG. 18( a ).  
         [0151]    In the sixteenth embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted on one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0152]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 18( a )) is installed on a shaft wall  4  with rail support members  30  composed of brackets  1  and fastening plates  2 D. An active damper unit  18  is provided on one of the brackets  1  supporting the rail  5  mounting the driving unit  8 , and attached adjacent to the driving unit  8 . The damper unit  18 , composed of a bar  18 ( a ) and two weights  1   8 ( b ) mounted on opposite ends of the bar  18 ( a ), absorbs a predetermined frequency of vibration. The weight of the weights  18 ( b ) and the length of the bar  18 ( a ) are determined in accordance with a frequency of vibration of the cage guide rail  110 .  
         [0153]    According to the sixteenth embodiment, the damper member  18  is provided on one of the brackets  1  adjacent to the driving unit  8 , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit  8  from transferring to the shaft wall  4 . Accordingly, uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly generated in the building.  
         [0154]    [0154]FIG. 19( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a seventeenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 19( a ).  
         [0155]    In the seventeenth embodiment, a driving unit  8  is mounted on one of the cage guide rails  110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail  110  is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail  110  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0156]    Similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of cage guide rails  110  (only one is shown in FIG. 19( a )) composed of plural rails  5  is installed on a shaft wall  4 . One of the cage guide rails  110 , which mounts the driving unit  8 , is secured on the shaft wall  4  with rail support members  30  composed of brackets  1  and fastening plates  2 D, and rail support member  38  composed of two brackets  1 B and a coupling plate  19  connecting the brackets  1 B together. The brackets  1 B are disposed at upper and lower nearest sides of the driving unit  8 . The coupling plate  19  is secured on the shaft wall  4  by upper and lower pairs of anchor bolts  3 A and  3 B which are respectively separated by an interval in the horizontal direction. The other cage guide rail  110  is secured on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. Further, a pair of counter weight guide rails  111  (not shown in FIG. 19( a )) is installed on the shaft wall  4  with the rail support members  30  shown in FIG. 2. The cage  101  and the counterweight  102  are respectively guided by the cage guide rails  110  and the counter weight guide rails  111 , and hanged by cables  103  as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0157]    According to the seventeenth embodiment, since two brackets  1 B adjacent to the driving unit  8  are coupled by the coupling plate  19 , and the coupling plate  19  is secured on the shaft wall  4  by two pairs of anchor bolts  3 A and  3 B, the driving unit  8  can be surely supported.  
         [0158]    [0158]FIG. 20( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of an eighteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 20( a ).  
         [0159]    Since the eighteenth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the seventeenth embodiment of the present invention, in the following description, only components different from the components explained in the seventeenth embodiment are described.  
         [0160]    In the eighteenth embodiment, rubber sheets  20  are laid between the brackets  1 B and the coupling plate  19 .  
         [0161]    According to the eighteenth embodiment, the brackets  1 B are connected with the coupling plate  19  via the rubber sheets  20  with bolts (not shown) or the like, thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit  8  from transferring to the shaft wall  4 , in addition to the effects of the seventeenth embodiment.  
         [0162]    [0162]FIG. 21 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a nineteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 21( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 21( a ).  
         [0163]    Since the nineteenth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the eighteenth embodiment of the present invention, in the following description, only components different from the components explained in the eighteenth embodiment are described.  
         [0164]    In the nineteenth embodiment, damping steel sheets  21 , which is made of highly damped steel, are substituted for the rubber sheets  20  of the eighteenth embodiment.  
         [0165]    According to the nineteenth embodiment, the brackets  1 B are connected with the coupling plate  19  via the damping steel sheets  21  with bolts (now shown) or the like, thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit  8  from transferring to the shaft wall  4 , in addition to the effects of the seventeenth embodiment.  
         [0166]    [0166]FIG. 22( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twentieth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 22( a ).  
         [0167]    Since the twentieth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the seventeenth embodiment of the present invention, in the following description, only components different from the components explained in the seventeenth embodiment are described.  
         [0168]    In the twentieth embodiment, the brackets  1 A, which is made of highly damped steel, are substituted for the brackets  1 B of the seventeenth embodiment in FIG. 19( a ).  
         [0169]    According to the twentieth embodiment, the cage guide rail  110  is supported by the brackets  1 A made of highly damped steel and connected with the coupling plate  19 , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit  8  from transferring to the shaft wall  4 , in addition to the effects of the seventeenth embodiment.  
         [0170]    The coupling plate  19  can also be made of highly damped steel. In this case, the brackets  1 A can be substituted for the brackets  1 B made of ordinary steel.  
         [0171]    [0171]FIG. 23( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twenty first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 23( a ). FIG. 23( c ) is a view of a damper member in the direction of the arrows A in FIG. 23( a ).  
         [0172]    Since the twenty first embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the seventeenth embodiment of the present invention, in the following description, only components different from the components explained in the seventeenth embodiment are described.  
         [0173]    In the twenty first embodiment, an active damper unit  18  is provided on one of the brackets  1 B connected by the coupling plate  19 . The damper unit  18 , composed of a bar  18 ( a ) and two weights  18 ( b ) mounted on opposite ends of the bar  18 ( a ), absorbs a predetermined frequency of vibration. The weight of the weights  18 ( b ) and the length of the bar  18 ( a ) are determined in accordance with a frequency of the vibration of the cage guide rail  110 .  
         [0174]    According to the twenty first embodiment, the damper member  18  is provided on one of the brackets  1 B adjacent to the driving unit  8 , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit  8  from transferring to the shaft wall  4 , in addition to the effects of the seventeenth embodiment.  
         [0175]    [0175]FIG. 24( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twenty second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 24( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in FIG. 24( a ).  
         [0176]    Since the twenty second embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the first embodiment of the present invention, in the following description, only components different from the components explained in the first embodiment are described.  
         [0177]    In the twenty second embodiment, upper and lower brackets  1 C are substituted for the two brackets  1  adjacent to upper and lower sides of the driving unit  8 . In this embodiment, the flexural rigidity of the brackets  1 C is stronger than that of the brackets  1 . A bending moment working at a junction of the fastening plates  2  and the shaft wall  4  is reduced the farther a bracket  1  is away from the driving unit  8 . That is, in FIG. 24( a ), the largest bending moment works on the top of the brackets  1 C.  
         [0178]    According to the twenty second embodiment, since the flexural rigidity of the brackets  1 C adjacent to upper and lower sides of the driving unit  8  is stronger than that of the brackets  1 , the driving unit  8  can be surely supported with minimum structure and low cost.  
         [0179]    In the above described embodiments, although the driving unit  8  shown mounted on the cage guide rail  110 , it should be understood that the driving unit  8  can be mounted on the counter weight guide rail  111 . Further, although the anchor bolts  3 ,  3 A and  3 B are used as a securing member, ordinary bolts or welding can be adopted in case that the shaft  6  is constructed with a steel frame.  
         [0180]    Various modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Technology Category: 7